Uninvited
by twilight eyes 8120
Summary: Kaiba's newest challenge doesn't come in the form of a duel or a business proposition. Can he become a savior, can he be saved? COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This is my first fanfiction...please go easy on me. My main character is royalty (Valkaria is a fictious county I have no clue if it exists but it sounded cool to me). Her father stepped down from the throne in an attempt to let his brother-in-law take over, he knew his sons were horrible. He also owns a company, which has been raided. The plan to oust his sons backfired and he failed. His older son will now take the throne over in a week putting everyone in danger. Anyway I just figured I'd give some back info. I hope to get constructive criticisms and I know I will be able to update fairly quickly. I don't own any Yu-Gi-Oh characters, but I do own my made up characters....

Chapter 1

Fierce determination, she thought to herself, and an unbending will. There was no way she was going to leave her Father, not in the condition he was in. The corporation he owned, started from the ground up, was under attack, and though her mind raced she could figure no way out. "Damn corporate raider," she absently played with a stray piece of her hair, a nervous habit of hers that she cursed. She knew all about big business, hell, what angered her was she could raid corporations better than anyone she knew. Perhaps, if she had only paid more attention to the shares that were being swallowed up instead of trying to topple the competition, she would have realized what was going on months ago. Her pride was going before her Father's fall and she would regret that forever.

"Iolite," she turned at the mention of her name, "I was looking all over for you." Her eyes took in the sight of her friend, and the first smile of her day was granted to him.

_Breath-taking _he thought to himself, there she stood amidst a tumble of honey blonde, softly curling hair, that cleared her hips. The way the sun filtered through the windows made her look like she was on fire. She stood there, ethereal, as if heaven itself had set an angel free on earth. Her eyes were the most amazing feature of her delicate face, and were also her namesake.

"'_Iolite' is the gem stone that Vikings used to guide their way. Even Leif Eriksson would use it to aid him when he crossed the Atlantic. It was quite a weapon, once you lost sight of coastline you could look through an iolite filter at the sun and determine your exact position. Her eyes are that same deep blue, with a hint of purple," Edward said. "It shall be her name." __His wife eyed him with glee, he was so taken with this tiny infant daughter of his. "You are aware that a baby's eye color could change, and then her name would no longer suit her," she smiled. _"_Nonsense," he quipped, "her eyes will remain this color, and she will always know who she is and where she is loved most." __The Queen winked at him, "if it is your wish highness, then so it shall be."_

"What do you want Ryan?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.

"I wanted to know when you were leaving, so I could give you a proper send off," he crossed the room and pulled her tightly up against him.

She pushed at his shoulders and remained stiff in his embrace, "I'm not leaving and you should take your hands off me...NOW!"

He laughed, releasing her. He knew all too well you can't hold a female who doesn't accept the embrace. Iolite had taught him that in spades, his body and his ego were equally bruised. It did feel wonderful when he managed to grab her, he reminded himself of that fact, sometimes the ends did justify the means. Curves like hers were meant to be explored, but he wasn't stupid enough to attempt anything without her permission.

"I'm telling my father, in a few minutes, that I'm staying," she said, her chin defiantly in the air. "No one can tell me what to do, I'm not exactly a child anymore. I refuse to be ordered about."

Her father's hand was on the door handle. He paused when he heard her talking with Ryan. Every word she said had an edge to it, she was scared, he was too. Edward tried to protect his jewel by moving her to the United States when she was younger; her older brothers were brutal. Torment was their favorite game, their young sister was easy prey for the carnivorous predators. It started with locking her up in different rooms of the castle, continued with stealing her possessions (which led to the death of her prized stallion) and then, the final straw, was when their friends started to partake in the fun. Edward knew his daughter's hold over men, he also knew she wasn't aware of it, it was only a matter of time before one of the boys would do irreparable harm. She was sent to live with her favorite Uncle in New York. Edward missed her horribly, especially since she was the only light in his life since his wife died, a year after Iolite's birth. She resembled her mother immensely, except for those eyes...

Edward only brought her home a few months ago. She was even more intelligent then when she left. She knew the ins and outs of big business, having taken a major interest in the stock market when she lived in New York. She was so cut throat in stocks that in mere months she had become a corporate raider and was amazing. Few people knew this secret about her, a priveleged few. Edward was balanced in a precarious position. The throne was gone and his business attempt had been pulled out from under him, he had no means to protect her. So, now here he was sending her off once again, this time possibly for good.

"What is this I hear that you won't be leaving?" He asked gently as he entered the room.

"Daddy," she came to him and threw her arms around his neck, "I can't leave, there are things I can do right here and now to help you recover the company!"

"Shhhhhh," he soothed her hair, holding her close, "there is nothing anyone can do at this point my heart." He looked down at her, "I have to protect you foremost, the sharks are circling, and not just my company. Your brothers are coming, heaven knows what Aron will do with you once he takes the throne."

Iolite closed her eyes and sighed heavily. The take over of her Father's company was bad, her brothers were worse. "I wish you wouldn't have abdicated the throne, why on Earth would you do that knowing it would open the gates of hell up?!" She bit her lip, realizing she had just yelled at him.

He shook his head slowly, "My Heart, there was no way around it, if I had kept my position I would not have been able to protect you."

"I don't need protection! I can handle myself and I hate that your world revolves around me," she swallowed hard, "It didn't work, here we are, you without a throne, me without protection and the scheme to elevate Uncle Warren to King failing miserably."

"It was worth a try, I hoped I could stop Aron and Simon from ascending, but, you're right, I failed." Edward shook his head in disbelief, "Your brothers aren't as empty headed as I thought."

She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes. She quashed them as best she could.

'_Tears mean we win Sister,' Aron taunted, 'Now you get to stay locked in the closet for the rest of the day! Or maybe we should shoot that nag of yours for penance...crying shows weakness...you underling wench!'_

"I have my own company Dad I'll be fine, just don't make me leave." She whispered in a last attempt to win her case.

"I would love for you to stay, but with Aron as King you are in grave jeopardy. All the business savy you have can't wage a war against a King. Keep your company incognito as you always have and run." His eyes filled with tears as he pulled her close, "It will be hard for you to start over with no family beside you, but you will not be friendless. Solomon Motou will be there to help you," Edward tilted Iolite's chin up, "He runs a card shop that sells cards to that dueling game you're entranced with."

Iolite sighed heavily, her heart protested, but her mind knew he was right. Aron would be too powerful to stand up to, he was horrible to her when he was merely her brother, what tortures would he put her through as her King? "My heart will stay with you father, but I'll go to make you happy."

He knew she was dying on the inside, it was his fault she was so loyal to him. He kept her close to him all through her life, except when he went off on business issues and to meet with diplomats. It was at those times she bore the brunt of the attacks by her own brothers. He didn't have any idea how both boys turned out so evil, it was a blessing when they ran off to live like party animals. Iolite was their polar opposite. His sons returning would not be the death of him, saying good bye to her would be.

Ryan drove her to the airport in silence. She clung to him at the gate, he held on to her for dear life, she was leaving... She pulled slightly away from him in order to look into his eyes, she searched them for an emotion she wasn't sure of. He closed his eyes and kissed her passionately, she welcomed the kiss, clinging to a dream that would never be. Without saying a word she pulled away and boarded the private jet that would take her to Solomon Motou. She would soon be a continent away from everyone and everything she loved.


	2. The Arrival

CHAPTER 2

In Domino City a small gathering was taking place in Solomon Motou's Game store. Everyone was gathered around the dining room table, having just finished lunch, they waited to hear Yugi's big news.

"So," Yugi sighed, "I know you're all wondering why I asked you to come. Unfortunately I have to first make you all swear to secrecy, what I'm about to tell you has to stay in this room and can't be leaked out."

Everyone nodded dumbly at him with their eyes wide open. This had to be something good, why else would he swear them to keep his news a secret?

"Is it a new card Yugi?" Joey asked in an awed voice, "Or a new threat to mankind? Do you have to save the world again?!"

"Oh Joey," Mia smacked his arm playfully, "Let the boy talk. Let's not assume it's an earth shattering prophecy. I'm kind of tired of the world being in jeopardy anyway, it would be nice to have a few weeks of peace and shopping for a change." She smiled at him as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. He knew how the last duel she had with Marik had affected her, she still had nightmares about the dreaded Shadow Realm.

"It doesn't have anything to do with Duel Monsters," he said smiling at the way Joey and Mai had gotten so close. "My Grandpa and I are expecting a guest tonight. She is in a great deal of trouble and needs our help." He looked at the faces of his closest friends before he continued. "The next part is what needs to be kept secret. Iolite, the girl who is coming, is Princess of Valkaria. Her Father and my Grandpa have been friends for many years now, ever since they met during an expedition in Egypt. He is sending her here to keep her protected from her brothers."

"I don't understand Yugi," Tea shrugged, "If she's a princess then her father, who I believe would be the King, should protect her. Shouldn't he?"

"A real Princess?!" Mokuba shouted, eyes wide open, "I've never met a Royal person before. Rich people yeah, but never a princess!"

Yugi waited for everyone to settle down again before he proceeded. It was a hard concept to follow, but he was going to try to enlighten them. Before he had the chance to continue...

"She can't look to her Father for protection," Solomon Motou chimed in, all eyes, including Yugi's, turned to the man.

"The King abdicated his thrown, he is no longer the King. He attempted to have his brother take over, it was a desperate move to keep his two sons from ruling the kingdom. Neither of the boys have an ounce of goodness in them, they are so opposite their Father in many ways. They both are on a power quest and it is going to ruin many lives. When they caught wind of their Father's plan they devised one of their own. In two weeks Aron, Edward's oldest son, will ascend the throne and then heaven help the people of Valkaria." He sat down grimly, he couldn't believe what madness was taking place in that small, quaint country.

"Grandpa has offered to help Edward hide his daughter here in Domino," Yugi took over. "Her brothers would love to get their hands on her. She is the only threat against them and their quest for total domination of Valkaria. The people there love her and her Father. If they were to over throw the monarchy they could pave her way to the thrown."

"So," Mai chimed in with an intense look on her face, "Why doesn't the country just revolt now and let her rule?" It seemed simple enough to her and Joey nodded in agreement.

"If only it were that simple Mai," Yugi sat down.

Solomon continued, "Once Aron assumes the thrown he has total control of Iolite's destiny. He could demand anything of her, and under the doctrines of power in her country she would be forced to obey or be declared a traitor to the thrown. Once she is declared a traitor she could never return to the country, even if both her brothers were ousted. She would lose her home permanently."

The room was silent. Everyone was trying to grasp the gravity of the situation, turn it over in their minds a bit.

"So," Tristan asked, "What can we do to help?"

"Yeah Yug what do you want us to do?" Joey smiled at his best friend.

"We have to keep her hidden here until her Father and Uncle can come up with a plan to keep her safe." Yugi said with a smile. "After all how hard could it be to hide a girl for awhile?"

"I think it'll be great guys," Tea said with a faraway look on her face. "A princess, we could try on her gowns and all of her princess things. We can take her shopping and talk to her about all of the princes she knows. This will be great!"

The guys rolled their eyes and Joey said, with annoyance in his voice, "She'll probably need to be waited on hand and foot. We'll be glorified maids to her royal highness. I can almost see her now, nose in the air, thinking she's better than us."

"I do like the idea of shopping with royalty," Mia interjected smiling brightly. "I wonder if she has an unlimited bank account."

They all sat around trying to imagine what a princess would be like. It was decided no judgments would be made about her until they met her in person. At 6 pm it was time to go get the object of their conversation. Grandpa and Yugi decided to go alone, she didn't need to be overwhelmed at the airport.

meanwhile...

Iolite kept her eyes trained out the window of her private jet. She had been informed moments ago that they would be on the ground in a half hour. She managed a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. She was still hoping she would wake up from this nightmare. Oh how she wished her Father would have come to her with his absurd plan, before he acted on it. She could have told him it was foolish, Aron was not stupid.

Now it was to late to undo what damage was done. Even now Aron was moving in to position for his ascension. She wished he would disappear..

Her Father's company was also a mess. Even now the pieces were being chopped up and auctioned off to the highest bidder. She knew the taste of victory in a successful take over, but now she knew what bitter defeat was as well. How could all of this had happened under her nose? Had she been too wrapped up in her own conquests? She was going to use the time in Domino to try to right everything, she would make the most of it ...that is until time runs out.

Only days ago her and Ryan had been carefree and happy. He had tried to put on a brave face and make it seem like an adventure, but he knew as she did, this was more than likely a one way trip. Her father had seemed almost feeble when she boarded the plane. The strange feeling of 'never seeing him again' laced tightly in her mind.

"I still have what's mine," she thought aloud to no one, "nothing can take my company and I'll be damned before I let them take my name and dignity from me." She bit back a curse and slowly crept out from under the blue cashmere blanket. She was never one for luxury, money was a handy thing, but there was more to life than riches and toys. Her brothers craved power, she always craved peace and happiness. _Bringing down evil business men who cheated, lied and stole from their employees and the public was her way of restoring peace_.

She smirked as her eyes grew hard, thinking of her siblings, if possible they turned a darker shade of blue, "I guess their influence and hunger bested me this round." She shook this thought out of her head, "round two will be mine, I won't go down easily and I'll never stay down for long." One thing her Father taught her was 'the only failure is not getting up one more time to fight.' She took a look around the interior of the plane. It was the last time she would be in this place, the last tie to her home. The dark grays and blues reminded her of home and comfort.

"We have landed Princess," Trey, her body guard, said to her slight form. "Are you ready to exit yet?"

She looked the man over, he was one of her Father's most loyal men. He was her protection and she knew he'd give his life to keep her safe. He tried to smile at her, knowing the turmoil she was in, but it looked like pity in his eyes.

"Have you ever been here before?" she asked him as she rose to her feet, stretching like a cat. She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she had hardly moved around at all during the long flight, and now she regretted it.

He smiled at her, "Tense or cramped?"

She winced at the spasm in her neck. She gently tried to ease the pain by rubbing the knot. She gave him a half smile and said to him, as the door to the jet lowered, "Let the adventure begin."


	3. Introductions

CHAPTER 3

"Is that her?" Yugi asked pointing to the girl who just stepped out of the jet.

"I believe so," his Grandpa answered as he strained his eyes to look. The plane landed in darkness so it was hard to see the exiting passengers. As the girl, and who he assumed to be a bodyguard, approached he smiled. She looked so much like her mother; regal posture, honey blonde hair, and fragile angelic features.

"Hello Mr. Motou," she stated as she stopped in front of the two, "I'm Iolite." The girl extended her hand to him as she smiled. The girl was truly breath taking.

"Hello Iolite," her handshake was warm and soft, "this is my grandson Yugi."

"Hello Yugi," she smiled at him as well and shook his hand.

"So," Motou searched her face, this was not going to be an easy woman to hide, "I think we should get you away from the airport and into a safe place."

They all climbed into Motou's car and drove back to the card shop/house. Iolite curled up on the backseat next to Raine. He slid an arm around her shoulders and she was, for once, glad at the fatherly gesture. It was taking every ounce of her self-control to not run back to the plane and demand to be taken home. It was a long, quiet car ride through the dark and exotic city.

"We're back," Yugi called out as the now foursome entered the house. Everyone got up from around the television to meet the visitor.

"This is Iolite, Princess of Valkaria," Yugi introduced her to all of his friends. She smiled warmly at them; she could tell they were all very close.

"Don't worry Princess," Joey chirped, "your secret is safe with us."

"Then you shouldn't call me Princess Joey. Please call me Iolite. I've never been one to use my title, in fact truth be told, it's a burden most of the time. I would much rather just be plain old Iolite." She noticed Mai and Tea's faces dropped at her confession. If they only knew the being royal was highly overrated. "I see neither of you have ever been chased by the press, befriended for your status or had the cruelest stories made up about you."

"But being a Princess comes with so many wonderful perks," Mai smiled, "the clothes, the traveling, the Princes..."

"I would give anything to have such an amazing life," Tea whispered. Tea and Mai turned to each other and sighed.

Iolite crossed the room and plopped on the couch. She started toying with the end of her very long French braid. They all turned to look at her, Tristan and Mokuba stood silent in awe of how beautiful she was. Not a stitch of make up on and in jeans and a t-shirt, neither boy had ever seen a more beautiful woman.

"I would much rather keep my job than ascend the throne," she sighed while she flipped the braid over her shoulder. "In fact," she smiled the softest smile, "if either of you want the job of princess it's yours."

"You'd give up being a princess just like that?" Tea asked in amazement.

"I was born a princess Tea, I didn't ask for it, it was heaped on me. All my life I've been this accolade, and at almost every turn I have regretted it like you can't imagine. I can hardly breath without an armed guard," she smiled weakly at Raine, "No offense."

"None taken," he smile back, she really had no idea how proud he was of her. Most royalty used their status to intimidate and ridicule, she saw it as a curse. She never used her authority as a weapon; in fact she had used it for a lot of good in Valkaria. She was now a beautiful almost woman who was trying desperately to find a place in society where she could prove she could stand on her own.

She eyed her watchers and giggled, "Can we please talk about something else or do something that has nothing to do with my HRH ness?!"

Mokuba walked over to her and blushed, "do you like movies or games or music?"

"Yes, yes and yes," she visibly relaxed and mentally thanked the boy for changing a bad subject for her. "What do you want to do...watch, play or listen?"

"Do you know how to play Duel Monsters?" He asked with eyes wide and full of anticipation. "That happens to be the favorite thing to do around here. Maybe if you want to learn how to play we can all give you some pointers?"

She raised an eyebrow and smirked, "teach me a few things will you?"

"Sure, I can play pretty good now, my big brother has been teaching me and he always has something new to show me. He just gave me a new monster card that I'm dying to try out."

Joey rolled his eyes at the mention of a 'big brother' and Iolite didn't fail to catch it. "Why don't you guys duel," she offered, "I'd love to watch. If you want to know the truth I do have my own deck, but it's packed right now and going through all my luggage is the last thing on my mind. I'd love to see you all play, maybe I can start getting some tips from you."

Joey smiled, "Sure thing Princess...ah Iolite...Mokuba and I can duel and you can watch." They pulled out a duel board and started shuffling their decks. "It feels weird to use a board and not the holograms. It's been so long since we've dueled this way."

"We could always go to Kaiba Land and play there," Mokuba offered.

"Not tonight I'm afraid," Yugi admonished, "Iolite has been traveling forever and I'm sure she would rather just relax here instead of running around the city to see duel monsters played in an arena."

Iolite was grateful Yugi had stepped in, she didn't have the heart to reject Mokuba. The game was now setting up on the coffee table and she watched while they cut one another's decks. She kicked off her shoes and slid on to the floor next to Mokuba. Silently and gently she began taking out the braid in her hair while the two boys started dueling. She recognized a few monsters, a few traps, but her deck was so different from both of theirs. She had a deck that was a special gift from Pegasus, before he turned evil. Her cards were hers alone and she hadn't lost yet. These two battled for every move and held nothing back.

"This is a friendly game right guys?" she finally asked a little taken aback at their fierceness, "it's not like you're dueling to save your own lives is it?"

Mokuba and Joey looked at each other, remembering the shadow realm and the evil it all held. Honestly, neither realized how vicious their play was. They both laughed. "Sorry Iolite," Mokuba giggled, "you have no idea what dueling around here can mean sometimes." He winked at Joey. "Yeah, things here can get a bit insane when it comes to dueling," sorry if we frightened you.

"No problem guys, you didn't scare me, just don't be so intense when you're playing a friendly game. If you take it so seriously how can you enjoy it?" Her hair was now free of its braid and she looked even more amazing. Tristan, Joey and Mokuba stared at her. "What?!" she asked a bit annoyed.

"You have beautiful hair," Tristan finally broke the silence. He blushed and then mumbled something about having to call Serenity immediately as he left the room.

"It's hair guys get a grip and keep playing, remember you're both suppose to be giving me tips to help improve my game."

They both apologized to Iolite and continued playing. Tea and Mai rolled their eyes and flipped on the television. Anything was better than watching the two boys try to impress Iolite. Neither girl blamed her, from what they saw she didn't have a clue as to how stunning she was. What girl would wear no make up, kick off her shoes and sit on the floor like that...she was a most unusual princess. Mai did notice how Joey watched Iolite, she knew his heart belonged to her, but she knew once the game was over she would have to remind him.

The game continued, both boys explaining things to Iolite. The girl listened intensely, most of her friends at home had an interest in the game but none could hold a candle to her. The two of them seemed to be on a different level and she could hardly wait to duel against them herself.

A loud knock on the door startled the lot of them. Raine swiftly walked over to the door and waited for Yugi. With a nod of his head Yugi opened the door.

"Kaiba," Yugi sighed in relief, "come on in. Is it 11 o'clock already?"

Kaiba pushed his way in surveying the room.

"Well, hello Mr. Sunshine," Joey smiled at Kaiba.

Iolite noticed how Kaiba didn't acknowledge Joey at all. Her gaze became hard, something about him disturbed her. It wasn't his air of confidence; she looked him over as he stood in the room with his arms folded across his chest. She could tell he had an ego that wouldn't quit and a coldness that was unsettling.

"Big brother," Mokuba stood up and raced towards Kaiba, "Can I stay a bit longer? I'm dueling Joey and we're almost done. I think I can beat him in a few more moves, besides Iolite should see how it all ends...please....please?!"

Kaiba heard the new name and rolled his eyes...yet another geek to be added to the squad? He just couldn't imagine what fascination this group held for his little brother.

"I have to introduce you to her," Mokuba dragged Kaiba over to the coffee table. "Iolite this is my big brother Seto Kaiba."

The room held no interest for Kaiba; he lazily turned his head in the direction of the introduction and gazed upon the girl. Iolite quickly stood, not desiring this man to look down on her. He was taller than her, but at 5'7 she was quite impressive. Kaiba noticed her eyes, aloof and disconcerting, he felt a shiver race down his spine, as if someone walked on his grave. He noted her long tumbling hair and her bare feet. She clearly didn't belong with this group of people. "Who is she Mokuba?" Kiaba asked his smiling brother.

"I am Iolite, and I am in the room so if you have more questions please address them to me." Her back was straight and her chin was up, she all but sneered at him. Insolent, he thought to himself, this girl is challenging me.

"Well?" she asked.

"I've never seen you before, how did you end up," he looked around in disgust, "here?" His eyes settled on hers again, it was almost like a staring contest between the two of them. Everyone else in the room seemed to disappear.

"Yugi and his Grandfather are friends of my family. I'm staying here until things reconcile themselves at my home." He raised an eyebrow at this. "Where is home?"

"Valkaria," one of her hands snaked behind her and she started twisting a curl around her finger absently.

The small ministration wasn't missed on Kaiba, she did put up an amazing front of coolness, but she was afraid of him just like every other girl. "What's wrong at your home?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," she quipped.

"I'm not concerned, I just want to know how long you'll be around my brother. I like to keep track of all the people he's in contact with." She was quite beautiful, her features were so fragile, delicate but her eyes were sharp and quite intelligent. He liked the fact that she wasn't swooning over him. "I have to keep Mokuba protected and if you're having problems at home I don't want him involved. I won't let him get hurt. You do know who I am...or don't you?"

She was furious with him, she had no idea why. He was mocking her and elevating himself. _'Do you know who I am?'_ Of course she did, Ryan and her had been hacking into his computers' mainframe for months. Unfortunately he owned far too much in his company to allow a raid. She now wished she could have a go at her laptop and figure out a company weakness to bring this arrogant ass down.

"Seto Kaiba," she said with such coolness that again she caused a flutter in him. "I know all about Kaiba Corp and all of your holdings. I know about the gaming and other interests you have. I've just never had a face to match to your spread sheets...now I do." With that she sat down and blatantly began to ignore his presence. She felt his eyes on her.

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage," he hissed, "I haven't researched you...yet." Her head snapped up at that comment, her eyes on fire.

Mokuba stood there watching the two throw daggers at one another until his brother made that last comment. "Seto you shouldn't speak to her like that."

"Why not Mokuba...what's so special about her?"

"She's a Princess Seto." All eyes turned on Mokuba, how could he tell Seto after swearing to secrecy?!  
"A princess?" Seto practically spat out, "she hardly resembles royalty to me." However, in the back of his mind he did see it all too clear, her looks, her confidence, her defiance, even his coldest stare had simply sent her to play with her hair. He hardly got a reaction from this creature who sat barefoot before him.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone Seto, she's in a lot of trouble and if you tell anyone you could put her in danger." Mokuba pulled on his brother's arm in terror.

"I won't tell anyone," Kaiba sneered, "your secret is safe with me Highness. Now Mokuba get your things together and lets go I have wasted enough time here already."

Kaiba noticed the warm smile she gave to his brother, and the hug that followed. "You have to come visit me again Mokuba. Remember you promised to duel me." The boy smiled at her in wonder. She had seemed so vile to Seto and yet she was sugar to him. "I would love to see you again Princess...uh...Iolite." She kissed his cheek and he nearly fell over the coffee table. Kaiba noticed Mokuba's crush, he also noticed that this 'princess' had no idea that she was having an effect on his brother. Hell, he noted, she is affecting me too, my blood pressure is sky high.

The brothers walked to the door. Iolite watched Seto's back; she wondered if she could take him in a fight, she could take Ryan easily despite his size. Seto was going to be a menace. He spared her one last glance, "Sleep well Highness." He closed the door and was gone.


	4. Insight

A/N: Thank you sooo much for my first 2 reviews! I hope I can keep you both interested. I'm so glad you love the storyMukyuu Tenshi! You both made my day...

...I think I have been remiss...I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters associated with it. I do, however, own the characters I invented in this fan fiction...

**Chapter 4**

Mokuba talked incessantly the whole way home. Kaiba rolled his eyes thinking _'if I didn't have a headache before this car ride I sure as hell have one now.' _He was told everything that happened that night starting from when Seto dropped him off earlier in the day. He did like the fact that his brother had found something to do, other than pester him to play all day, but this was insane. Kaiba just wanted to get on with the night and forget about a certain girl who, even in memory, annoyed him.

"Well, what do you think big brother, can I?" Mokuba asked. Kaiba realized that he had been ignoring Mokuba's ranting for a while now and was at a loss about the topic of conversation.

"Uh...what do you mean, _what do I think_?" Kaiba asked surveying the boy's slowly fading smile. He hated when he tuned the Mokuba out, it hardly ever happened, but with all the thoughts of the night in his own head it was inevitable.

"Haven't you been listening Seto...to me...at all?" Mokuba asked innocently.

Damn, this kid could break his heart when he tried. Kaiba tried to remember the question, and finally shrugged. His mind was racing with so many other things, so he figured he'd just let Mokuba have any way he wanted in order to avoid a fight. "Of course you can Mokuba, whatever you want." He noted the growing smile on the child's face; he had given the right answer and was a bit happy with himself. Kaiba once again lost himself in his thoughts and turned to watch the city race by.

"Thank you so much Big Brother! You are the best!" Mokuba sat back and seemed to turn his own thoughts inward.

Kaiba was just as happy for the peace and quiet in the car. He was able to sit there and quietly go over the information he already knew about this 'Princess' in his head. Once he got home he would start researching her fully. How could she know him and catch him off guard like that?

_Never mind_, _he told himself_, _next time I'll be well armed and I'll know all of her weaknesses_.

He wasted no time when he got home. Mokuba went to his room; Kaiba scarcely heard his quiet "goodnight" wish before closing himself in the dark office.

His first search was Valkaria...it was a country near Norway, which explained her looks. He read about the monarchy and found she was third in line for the throne. He also discovered her father had abdicated the throne.

_So, that makes her second in line, after he brother Aron...almost a Queen, Her Royal Highness..._He smirked as he toyed with that thought. She hadn't been living in her country for a while; she was in New York going to school.

_Why would you leave a country you almost ruled?_ _She could have gone to school in Valkaria...why New York?_

_New York University, however, explains her intelligence, she spent all her time studying business law there, while she lived with her Uncle. She also had a job with a prestigious company. She's so young and yet she's working for Cathway, a cutthroat brokerage firm? Why would the men who ran the company put a female, a very young female, in such a high place of power? She managed to go to school and work as a broker? Quite intriguing...Maybe her Father called in a favor...or her Uncle..._

Kaiba scribbled the word _'prodigy?!'_ on the pad on his desk. He looked at the clock realizing it was almost 3am and she was still quite a mystery to him. He tried hacking into the main frame at Cathway. but every attempt failed. He was stumped, his blue eyes narrowed, and he began drumming his fingers impatiently. He hated that she was not as simplistic as he had thought she would be. There were layers here that he intended to peel back. He put Cathway on the back burner and started to research her name.

There were plenty of magazine articles, but not like typical royalty received. She was quite the secret to society; she snubbed the limelight and kept her profile low. He managed to find some pictures of her taken at her 18th birthday party, held in New York at Tavern on The Green. It wasn't a necessary thing, looking at pictures of her, but he couldn't help himself. He had never seen a girl look like this before, he had seen and had many beautiful women, but she was on her own level. Her eyes were always cold, secretive and mysterious in the pictures. There was never a smile on her face. She looked like a woman in the dark blue gown, it fit her like she was sewn into it. _Was her figure that amazing?_ He rememebered her in jeans and a t-shirt with no shoes, hardly the same girl as the debutant in these pictures. Her hair was pulled into an updo and he found himself somewhat disappointed. _What did she do with herself when she was nervous?_ He remember, with a smirk how she twirled her hair when he aggravated her. He also wondered if she even realized she did that. He dismissed her stupid hair and dress from his mind. He was more interested in what her position was with the power broker.

_I will learn your secrets Highness..._he vowed. Maybe once she held no mystery he could turn her out of his mind. She was only a woman and after the way she spoke down to him he was determined to teach her her place. He smirked as he powered down his computer. A few phone calls in the morning and some interrogation of said Princess and he would turn this around.

He shook his head, not really knowing why she mattered, only that she did...immensely.

Meanwhile Iolite dressed for bed. She had wanted to go online to see if Ryan left any e-mails, but Yugi didn't have a cable modem link and phone lines could be traced. She did know how to manipulate a pathway so that she couldn't be traced, but phone lines were dangerous. There had to be someway to get to Ryan. Then, it dawned on her, Mokuba. She wasn't sure if he was as computer savvy as Kaiba, but he at least had to be able to get a better link to the WWW than through a phone modem. She would call him in the morning. She sighed...hopefully Kaiba didn't answer the phone, but then again he would probably think the chore of answering the phone was beneath him. She couldn't help but giggle.

"I think that's the first time your laughter hasn't been forced since we left Valkaria," Raine interrupted her. He was leaning in the doorway watching her unpack.

"Private thought," she turned and smiled at him. "What do you think of everyone here? I mean, they all seem so nice and friendly, but are they all trustworthy?" She put her folded shirts into a draw and began hanging up her jeans. Some Princess she was, you couldn't tell by her wardrobe she was royal, she mused.

"I think you're as safe here as you can be under the circumstances," he said seriously. She was nearly unpacked, and he could tell she had tons of nervous energy. "So, what do you think of Kaiba?"

"I don't," she lied and he knew it.

"He managed to get your blood boiling," he baited her, "more than Ryan ever has."

She turned on her heel and faced the man, his eyes showed amusement, hers didn't. "How can you compare the two? Ryan is sensitive and sweet; Kaiba's ego enters the room before he does. Kaiba doesn't 'get my blood boiling,' he merely infuriates me."

He noticed the way she tried shrugging off the subject by reorganizing the closet she just filled. He decided to let the subject die. She really didn't need any more stress and even though he knew she was giggling about Kaiba, he also knew she felt a loyalty to Ryan. _Heaven have mercy on them both, he thought, neither man knew how easily this Princess could turn from ice to fire and then back._

"Be careful when you go out," he said. "You don't know the city and I would hate to see you get hurt."

She looked at him innocently. She was already pulling her hair into a long pony tail. Ever since she was a child she was afraid to go to sleep. There were so many nights when her brothers waited for her to sleep so they could 'play' with her. She would wake up when hands grabbed at her. Many times it started as sleep and ended in a dark closet or even in the woods surronding the castle. How they managed to get her past the guards she never did quite understand. They loved to make her cry, and when she was too scared to scream they triumphed. She tried to bring herself back from the nightmares that haunted her, "I'm always careful, besides I know how to take care of myself," she winked at him, "I learned from the best."

He knew she meant all of the training he had given her, she was her own best weapon. He never did ask why she had so many problems sleeping, but since he was assigned to her when she was 8, she never slept more than 2 or 3 hours at a time. If he could forbid her to go out he would, but it never worked in the past, and it certainly would never work here because she felt so vulnerable.

"I'll see you in the morning Raine," she smiled as she approached him, "I'll be back before it gets too light out." She loved the night and how it sharpened her senses. Darkness had gained her deepest respect and she learned to move silently in it. She could hide and she could simply let it envelop her. Her deepest fear had, over time, become her greatest ally. He kissed her forehead.

She had a lot of thinking to do. She had a company to raid, a Father to save and a puzzle to solve. Too bad night only lasts a few hours...


	5. The Game Begins

A/N: I don't own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh characters (unfortunately) I do own the ones I created in this story.

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner, but hurricane Frances is annoying us. Hopefully when we get home, we are evacuated at the moment, we will still have electricity so I can keep posting...Mukyuu Tenshi thank you for another great review! Please keep reading and reviewing so I know if I'm doing ok...thanks so much...Please everyone read and review...thank you!

Chapter 5

The first rays of the sun found Iolite snuggled in her bed, safe and warm. She had spent the night hours walking through the park. Her tension was gone and she was sleeping without dreaming. Raine watched her for a few minutes. She still looked like the little girl he remembered, in sleep all of her cares left her and she was able to be just a girl. At 20 years old she had seen more than most. Unfortunately, he also knew things would get worse before they got better. He just hoped Aron would leave her be.

Somewhere in the house the phone rang, Yugi grabbed it on the second ring. "Hello," he said in his usual cheery voice, "Hey Mokuba how are you?'

"Very good, Seto said last night that I could have all of you over today and I just wanted to see if it was ok...we could duel, swim and watch movies, plus, cook will make lots of great food. So what do you think?"

"I don't know how safe it is Mokuba, Iolite is suppose to be in hiding. If we go to your place she may be spotted."

"I thought of that Yugi. The only staff here today is cook, and our normal security guards. The guards would never divulge anything that happened here or Seto would have their heads. Cook lives here and she'd never say anything that would hurt anybody."

"Well," Yugi thought for a moment, "I'm sure Iolite would rather not stare at the 4 walls in this place. If Raine agrees and Iolite wants to I think it would be fun."  
"Call me back as soon as you know Yugi, I'll talk to you soon!"

Yugi was hesitant about taking Iolite out in public, but the only time she would be out was the short car ride to the Kaiba mansion. He knew that place was a fortress and he knew she would be safe there. He walked to her room to offer the invitation to her. Raine was still standing in the doorway watching her sleep while he sipped his coffee.

"She's still sleeping?" Yugi asked joining him in the doorway.

"I think she's beginning to stir. Why?"

"Mokuba invited us to the Kaiba mansion later today and I wanted to see if you thought it was alright. I thought that maybe she would like to get out for awhile."  
Raine knew Kaiba's home was probably a vault. If anything she would be safer there than at Yugi's. "I have no problems with her going, but I'm going with her."

"Naturally," Yugi smiled.

"Do I have a say in this?" Iolite grumbled from under her covers. She was dozing until she heard the two talking. "Don't you know it's impolite to lurk in doorways? It's even worse to discuss me without including me." She sat up and surveyed the two. The few hours she had of sleep each morning were precious. She rubbed her eyes and tucked stray pieces of hair behind her ears.

"Where am I going?" She asked as they both watched her. Yugi was fascinated, for a princess she certainly didn't act like one. She was wearing a t-shirt and shorts and seemed just like any other girl. If anything, Mai acted more like a princess, spoiled badly by Joey, and up to date on all of the latest trends. Iolite seemed far more comfortable in jeans and ponytails. He smiled, she certainly was unique.

"Mokuba asked us to come over to his place today. It could be lots of fun. The mansion has duel facilities, a pool and a huge television. We could have a lot of fun there, or we could sit here and stare at the walls."

She smiled at Yugi, "I think it's a great idea." She started hatching a plan to use one of their computers, she was sure that they had a few. She hoped for a better connection to the WWW than a phone line. Kaiba, being a major businessperson, was sure to have a way for her to get in touch with her accounts online. She wondered if she should bring her laptop, but thought it may be a bit tacky.

"I don't have a bathing suit," she said, thinking while they swam she could snoop.

"No problem I'll call Joey and he can ask Mai to bring an extra one." Yugi smiled as he turned and walked away. She frowned; she had to think of something else. Raine saw the frown and walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Just what are you thinking Princess," he asked raising an eyebrow. He knew that frown; it was as if some plan had just been ruined.

"Nothing, I was just imagining swimming without my own suit. I hope she has a one piece. I don't think we're the same size anyway. Maybe I'll just sit inside while they swim. I could watch TV or something." She got out of bed and began searching for an outfit. Raine crossed the room and grabbed her upper arm, swinging her around to face him.

"I won't let you go sneaking around his mansion. That's dangerous and I know he has plenty of guards!" He was deadly serious, but she smiled slyly at him.

"Why are you so worried? You know I'm very good at being quiet and I can sneak around the castle undetected. Stop being so nervous." He didn't let her go.

"It's my job to make sure you're safe. I can overlook the nighttime jaunts, but sneaking around kaiba's mansion is out of the question. I will tail you and make sure you are more than a bit conspicuous. If you can't find what you're looking for in plain sight you are out of luck!" He practically growled at her.

She yanked her arm away, "Fine! I'll do it another way, don't get in my way, and don't forget I'm pretty good at what I do. Sometimes there has to be a risk before you can get a reward."

He shook his head and left the room to let her get dressed. She needed to learn that she wasn't bulletproof. Unfortunately she really was shrewd and so her confidence was really high. Raine knew Kaiba would be furious if he caught her sneaking around, part of him hoped the boy would catch her red handed. He smiled at the thought, maybe Kaiba could bring he down a few pegs and then she would be more cautious.

They arrived at the mansion around noon. Iolite hoped Kaiba would be at work someplace else. It was a business day, so there was every chance he would be at the office instead of home. However, she couldn't come right out and ask, what would they think if she asked for him? Maybe they would assume she wanted to see him...

Mokuba was so thrilled to see everyone. She gave him a hug and he blushed at the attention. "So Iolite, what would you like to do first?"

"I want to eat," Joey said, "You said there was plenty of food."

Mai elbowed him as she pushed her way into the mansion. This was more like it, she thought to herself. She wanted to be able to afford a mansion someday. Her dueling skills were good, and she won many contests, but she needed to win a lot more to live in luxury like this. "I want to catch some sun by the pool," she said as she walked into the expansive living room. She noted the huge fireplace and high cathedral ceilings, the furniture was leather and all the wood was cherry. The room was warm, despite the fact Kaiba owned it. She figured him to be ultra modern and very cold. There were huge windows and three sets of French doors that led out onto a balcony that was as massive as the room she was in.

Iolite walked over to Mai and smiled, "Not bad huh?"

"We had decorators come and do all of this," Mokuba ran over to the two smiling, "Wait till you see the pool." He led them all out onto the balcony, which was more like a garden patio made of marble. It was tremendous, long marble stairs led down to a huge tropical pool. There was a grotto down below them. It had waterfalls into the pool and every type of flower was blooming around the extensive gardens. The property seemed to stretch forever. Iolite gazed over everything. She felt like she was at a resort rather than a home. She smiled, not being able to see Kaiba enjoy this, but knowing Mokuba did.

"Let's all go swimming," Tea said, "I don't want to see that gorgeous pool go to waste."

Mai handed Iolite a tote bag, "I think this will be fine for you. We should be about the same size." Iolite thanked her and then asked Mokuba where the bathroom was. He told where it was upstairs. Being she was the only one who wasn't in her suit already she told them to start without her while she changed. She climbed the stairs, knowing she wasn't just going to use the bathroom.

The upstairs hallway stretched out before her in both directions. There were doors everywhere. Her palace was much bigger than this, but unfortunately she knew her way around there-this place was a mystery. She made a right down the hall, she knew the bathroom was to her left, so, she tried the first door on her right.

She tried to just peek in, but could hardly see anything. She felt for the wall switch and turned it on. There was a big desk in front of her and the room was lavishly decorated, computer books lined the shelves. She knew she was in Kaiba's office and a chill ran down her spine. She walked over to his desk and noted the picture of Mokuba; she picked it up and smiled. He might be a cold man, but he sure loved his brother. She looked at the things on his desk as she put the picture down. He had a computer here and some papers. She tried to read the things on his desk, but saw nothing of interest. Slowly she started opening a folder when she became aware of warm breath on her shoulder...

"Can I help you with something?" Kaiba whispered softly against her ear. His body was almost touching hers, she could feel the heat radiating off of him.

"I was looking for the bathroom," she stammered, not wanting to move because she knew he was only inches away from her.

"I can assure you it isn't on my desk," he was trying to scare her. He knew she was coming over because Mokuba told him. At first he had been furious, but then Mokuba reminded him that he had agreed to the visit last night on the car ride home.

"I came in this room by accident," she could hear the tremor in her own voice and mentally kicked herself. "I saw the picture of Mokuba and wanted to look at it."

He knew she was lying. He wanted to find out what she was really doing.

She swallowed hard and then turned around to face him. Face to face with the man was intimidating, especially when he looked at her with those cold steel blue eyes. He was still leaning in close; she resisted the urge to run, knowing that would make her look guilty. She decided to try the truth...

"I was hoping to find a computer so I could check my e-mail. I was hoping my Father was trying to get in touch with me." She tried to keep her eyes level with his. If he knew she was anxious he would win.

He looked her over, a plan already hatching in his mind, "You could use this terminal, as long as I can stay in the room. I don't want you to go into my private company files." He smiled to himself, once she left the room he would trace the paths she used and could have a first-hand look into her life. She probably didn't know what a great hacker he was. He leaned in closer, she drew a ragged breath, not sure what his intentions were, then turned. He walked over to the chair directly in front of the desk and sat. He was still eyeing her suspiciously. She closed her eyes for a second, willing her courage to kick back in. Quickly she went around the desk and took a seat behind the monitor.

She quickly got up and running and found the secret e-mail account she had set up. Only Ryan knew about the address. She quickly opened the e-mail from him.

_Princess..._

_I hope you are ok. I know Raine will try his best to keep you safe, hopefully you'll help him by being careful. I wanted to let you know your Father is fine, but the situation here is getting worse. Aron is looking for you, I have an idea what he wants to do with you, but until I'm sure I won't scare you. __I also wanted to tell you I acquired the 3% of Mortimer's, I believe that you now own 27% of the bastard's company, still not a majority. I have no idea how to acquire more. This is your field, not mine. If you can come up with something leave me a note. I know Mortimer is a major backer of your brother, without his money to throw around Aron would lose a powerful ally. You have to find a way to get at least 7% more. __Please be careful Love. I would hate to see anything happen to you. _

_Yours...Ryan_

Iolite read the letter several times. Her latest acquisition had almost brought her up to the boiling point. Where on earth could she get her hands on more of Mortimer's stock?

"Are you almost finished?" an impatient Kaiba snapped her back into reality, "I've wasted enough of my time on you already and I need to get back to work."

"One more minute and I'll be out of your hair," she whispered.

He looked at her face, she seemed to be in her own world, and so he let her be. The more she did, the more he would discover about her.

She typed a quick note to Ryan, basically telling him she was fine and that she would come up with something. She then destroyed the pathways to her account so Kaiba couldn't trace her steps. She wanted to do more research into Mortimer's company, try to find more options and shares to buy, but time wasn't hers at the moment. She closed all the windows she opened and then looked at Kaiba.

"Thank you for letting me use your computer," she slowly stood; she noted that his eyes never left her. "I better get back downstairs before they start missing me."

He eyed her, she was hardly the same dominant woman she was last night. He had to find out what she did so he could see why she was so shaken. She quickly left the room, crossed the hall and disappeared into the bathroom.


	6. Unknown Intentions

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews...SetoLover I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with the characters, just let me know if I stray. I love the reviews, please keep R&R...thanks! As per usual...I do not own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh characters...I only wish I did...I do, however, own my own characters

Chapter 6

Iolite stood in the bathroom and tried to calm herself down. She struggled, with shaking hands, to put on Mai's bathing suit. She wondered what Ryan had meant. What did Aron have in store for her? He was cruel and she had no doubt whatever he was going to attempt would be awful. Once she finished she looked at herself in the mirror. The suit was a bikini, a small one. She toyed with the idea of keeping her shirt on. She didn't want to wear this dental floss around Kaiba. She was still mad at herself for not having a snide come back for any of his remarks. The truth was, she might need his help again, seeing as access to his computer could be vital. She would have to be nice to him, or die trying.

She yanked her shirt over her head and smiled. She would simply wear it over the bathing suit in the pool. It looked stupid, but at least she would feel adequately covered. She left the bathroom and headed out to the pool.

Kaiba watched for her from his office window. Once he saw her walking to the pool outside he sat down behind his computer and started to trace her course. She had destroyed the pathways she used, he sort of expected that move, but he was able to use her keystrokes to track her. He signed on to her account and read her one piece of mail...

He frowned and his eyes hardened when he saw that she was acquiring company interests from Mortimer's. He knew the company, he also knew the owner, and he had a firm dislike for the man and his business practices. Why would she play around with someone who was that dangerous? Was it for Cathway? Was she doing something behind Cathway's back? Was she getting herself into some trouble? Maybe she was doing some type of insider trading.

His eyes read and reread the note. Her brother was out to hurt her, he wondered how, and who exactly was this man-Ryan. He had no idea why it bothered him so much that he called her "Love," or that he signed the note "Yours." Tracking down a man with only a first name was near to impossible.

Another thought occurred to him, this girl could be dangerous if she knew how to acquire companies. He would have to watch her carefully from this point forward.

Another thought occurred to him, if she could get her hands on Mortimer's company interests maybe he could use it to his own advantage, after all, they did have a hologram division, and he knew things she didn't about it.

He stood up and looked out the window. She was sitting on a chair near the pool; everyone else was swimming and splashing. Why was she on the sideline? She was an enigma. He had things to do, so why did he so badly want to go down there and see her again?

"Are you going to go swimming, or are you just going to sit here and watch?" Raine smiled as he sat beside her. She was in the shade and wearing her shirt.

"I think I'll sit this pool thing out," she said decidedly.

"You know," he said as he eyed her, waiting for a reaction, "I think you're here because you're afraid to join in. I know how much you hate to have fun."

She sat back on the chaise lounge chair and closed her eyes. She knew him, and baiting her wouldn't work today.

"I guess Mai's bathing suit is too small for you...or too big" he smirked. He was trying to get her aggravated enough to prove him wrong and go enjoy herself.

"It fits fine, thank you."

"Apparently not if you're sitting over here hiding from everyone."

"I'm not hiding, just relaxing. Could you please leave me alone?!" She was getting very annoyed.

"Sitting by a gorgeous pool, in a shirt, in the shade while all of your new friends enjoy themselves? Princess this isn't like you." He studied her for a moment, "Is it Kaiba?"

He knew he struck a nerve with that remark, she almost winced at the name.

"I could care less what Kaiba thinks of me," she growled, "Why would I?"

"Maybe because he's coming over here even as you argue with me about him?" Raine smiled as Kaiba started approaching. He quickly got up and walked over to another part of the pool area. She suddenly missed Raine more than life.

"What do you want?" She asked as he stopped in front of her.

"I wanted to see that the geek squad wasn't destroying everything. I can't be sure they're all housebroken," he scowled as he looked down at her. "Why aren't you joining the juvenile delinquent games?"

She turned to look at him, noting that she hated that he was standing and she was lying down. It seemed like this put her at a disadvantage and she didn't want him to think he was dominating her. She turned on the lounge so she could put her feet on the floor and at least sit up.

"I was relaxing and taking in some sun, if you must know."

"Funny how you picked the shadiest part of the patio to 'sunbathe,' I think that would require sun." He smirked, and she wanted to slap him. _Be nice..._

"I don't like the direct sun."

"There is no sun at all here, and besides, with that shirt on and the towel over your legs, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think 'sunbathing' isn't going to be that productive Highness." Kaiba liked looking down at her, he also liked how she was tripping over herself for justifications.

She stood up, he was still quite a bit taller than her, but she did feel less intimidated.

"I know how to sunbathe, I was relaxing."

"Then why did you say you were sunbathing?"

"I don't know, probably because that's what you do why you go to a pool, but I just wanted to relax." She was finding it hard not to smack him. _Please be nice..._

"So," he smiled at her, coldly "what were you doing on my computer?"

_All bets on being nice are off_..."Is that why you came out here Kaiba?" she hissed at him, "for an explanation? What I did on your computer was my business. I didn't plant a virus or poke into your files...I just read e-mail. Personal e-mail."

"I know exactly what you did Highness." He regarded her expression, not wanting to tip his hand, but feeling compelled to, "I know where you went and what you saw there."

She was enraged! He traced her?! "How did you figure out where I went and what I did?! I destroyed the pathways...how..." It dawned on her then, she forgot he was clever with computers, probably more than she was.

"Your key strokes Highness...would you care to discuss Mortimer with me?"

She, for the first time ever, was speechless.

"Well," he asked after waiting for an explanation that wasn't coming.

"I...I...I hate when you call me that," she stammered, in a quick attempt to change the subject. He was watching her and she could swear he was raking her purposely.  
"You have an HRH title, so calling you Highness is fitting. Now, tell me why you're attempting to provoke Mortimer."

"Why should I?!" She spat at him, who the hell did he think he was? She owed him nothing.

"He's very dangerous and someone who knows so little about corporate business, such as yourself, shouldn't play with a tiger." Kaiba stated simply. He watched her deep blue eyes flash purple. He was intrigued by her anger, he wanted to provoke her more. Usually men quaked before him, but this slip of a girl was actually defying him, loudly.

"You should keep your nose out of things you have no clue about. Nothing I do concerns you, I can handle my own affairs. I've never conceded a fight in the corporate world or in the battle of wills. You'd best learn that Kaiba!"

He folded his arms across his chest and eyed her up and down. "You'd be shredded in a ring with Mortimer, even your bodyguard couldn't save you. I don't even think your 'boyfriend' is capable of watching your back in this matter. If you continue with pursuing the devil you will get caught and you will loose."

Iolite was practically shaking in rage at him, her eyes smoldered and her pulse was racing in her ears. "I've taken down bigger names than him, without the help of Raine! Furthermore Ryan is hardly my 'boyfriend' and even without him I could still do what I need to to get under that parasite's skin. I've danced with the devil before Kaiba and I've never lost, I don't intend to start now."

His mind raced with all of the information she was giving him. So, she was hardly a second rate intern at Cathway, she was much more. How far up the food chain was she? Was this Princess as cut throat as it seemed? There was a whole lot more here and he was hell bent on finding out exactly who she was.

"Why does your brother want to hurt you?" His question was fairly whispered, his eyes were still cold and his face was hard.

"Why do you care?" she questioned him.

"I don't," he looked over at the pool. They were all still playing, but quieter than before. He wished they would all disappear.

A sudden splash turned his head, she was now in the pool. He was so side tracked that he took no notice of her stripping off the shirt and diving into the pool. She was swimming towards her friends and he was left to wonder what had happened. It took all his will power not to call out to her. He sat in the shade and watched them all play. He wanted more time with her, for some reason the challenge she presented was too great to resist.

"So what did Kaiba want," Joey asked when she approached them.

"He's just trying to annoy me, but I guess you're use to him being annoying huh?" She smiled at Joey and gave him a friendly splash. She hoped he bought he act, feeling exposed to Kaiba was more than unnerving and she didn't like it at all.

"We should all play volleyball," Mokuba suggested.

They played for quite some time. Iolite was ever mindful of Kaiba's stares, he just sat there silently brooding and watching her. It was not going to deter her good time and if he even sensed that he was bothering her he'd be too happy with himself.

Raine sat and watched Kaiba's expression. He observed the way he shifted when someone touched Iolite, and how he nearly came out of his chair when Joey threw her. It seemed that the boy didn't like to see her touched. He wondered if Kaiba noticed how she, too, watched him. He knew how Iolite's mind worked and even though she could be inconspicuous she never got a thing past him. Something was brewing here and he was the only one who would admit it.


	7. Compassion at a Price

A/N: Please keep R&R...

SetoLover: There will be no Yaoi's here, and as for evil, I don't think Seto really is. He's arrogant and egotistical, but not evil. Could a man who loves his brother enough to risk his own soul be evil?! I don't think I could write him that way. Can't tell you much past that or I'll ruin my story. I do love his aire of confidence and his wit, it adds to his charm. Don't ya think?

I don't own 'Turn of the Screw'. No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters associated with it, only my own...darn my bad luck...

Chapter 7

Everyone was having a great time. The Kaiba mansion afforded many luxuries and Mokuba made sure they all took advantage of them. He didn't have many opportunities to invite people over; Seto usually frowned on such nonsense. He was more than excited when they entered the dueling arena that they had on the estate grounds. Usually Seto used the place to practice, but often Mokuba went there to play around.

"I want to duel you Princess...er...Iolite," Mokuba challenged playfully.

"You have to go easy on me," she smiled at him, "I haven't played skilled duelists such as yourself before. The people I played against were purely amateurs."

They assumed their positions and started the game. Step by step she revealed new monsters and different trap and magic cards. Everyone was amazed. They had seen Mai's impressive deck, most of her cards being quite feminine, but Iolite's were amazing.

They dueled back and forth; she began to notice how frustrated he was getting. It never took her more than a few moves to annihilate a person, but Mokuba was different and his feelings meant a lot to her. She continuously held back her major monster cards and a few 'fail-proof' magic and trap cards in order to give him the advantage. She didn't go down easy that would be too obvious. She didn't want to destroy his ego and humiliate him. Eventually, she lost the duel.

Yugi pulled her aside.

"You let him win. Do you think it was a good idea?" he asked seriously.

"He's a child and I doubt seriously that his brother ever lets him off easy. Sure, I could have defeated him, but why? It wouldn't have made me feel good, and it would have made him feel awful. My Dad was always hard on me, but he also let me experience some victories. You know, if you taste victory you hunger for it more... Maybe I actually helped him."

Yugi searched her face, a hint of child-like innocence lurked there still, despite all the problems. He was amazed that she wasn't jaded and he was also impressed. "You shouldn't make a habit of letting people win. Maybe you need a victory to help yourself."

"I'm working on my victory Yugi, don't worry about me."

"We're all worried about you Iolite," he shook his head slowly, "it's only a matter of days and..." his voice trailed off, he didn't want to upset her. Her time was so fleeting.

"Things have to work out Yugi, and besides, for now I'm safe. No one guaranteed me tomorrow and today I'm trying to figure out a way around all of this mess. Letting Mokuba win made him happy, and that, in turn, made me happy. It's a 'now' thing. I have very little control over what will happen to me, at least I can do something for him."

Yugi glanced over her shoulder and saw Kaiba standing there. He wondered if he had heard Iolite's admission. He also wondered why the man was so interested in her. They seemed to argue every time they were near each other, so why did he keep coming around her? "What's on your mind Kaiba?" He asked, noting the way Iolite's features tensed.

"I would like a word with her Royal Highness," he spit out.

Yugi knew that Kaiba, for the most part, put on an act. He had a hard edge, but a harsh life would do that to a person. He had no problem leaving her in Kaiba's company, besides she could handle him. He smiled and walked away.

He came very close to her before he started speaking, she could feel butterflies take flight in her stomach. He did have a way of unnerving her and she desperately wanted it to stop.

"Why did you toss the duel? I know you could have buried him, so why did you let him win?" He seemed genuinely mad.

"He's a child Kaiba," she noted how his eyes softened, "why should I take a small victory away from him? It meant more to him than me."

"He must learn to fight, not be catered to. If you would have beat him next time he would have tried harder." He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest; "don't give him confidence when he lacks skill."

She eyed him viciously. She could hardly believe they were discussing Mokuba like he was a robot in training. He smirked at her with cold animosity and his cobalt eyes narrowed. "If you go soft on him he'll be as easy to beat as that dog..." he drawled the last word.

"If I let him win maybe he'll be able to beat Yugi someday, unlike you." She smiled smugly, knowing she hit a nerve.

What came next took her by complete surprise...he grabbed her upper arms, pulled her to him and ground his mouth on hers. Her eyes flew open and her breath caught, _what the hell was he doing_?! She had no time to react. Quickly his mouth softened against hers, he attempted to deepen the kiss. His tongue softly stroked hers, she whimpered. He groaned as he pulled her body against his, her curves fit the lines of his body perfectly, how could it feel so right with a woman who was so exasperating? Gently he started stroking the nape of her neck, feeling her warm hair cover his hands, that honey blonde hair, which had fascinated him from the moment he had lain eyes on her...Finally, her muscles relaxed a bit, she was bewildered by him. How could a cold man kiss with such fever? Her hands, which had been pushing against his chest, now gripped his shoulders. He tasted her mouth with such elegance she nearly purred. _What was she doing_? This had to stop. She managed to recover and pull away. He looked shocked.

She slapped his face firmly. Blushing deeply, she noted how she was panting.

"How dare you?!" She fumed at him, her fire returned with avengence.

He slowly turned to look at her, his eyes were smoldering. He couldn't believe that she hit him. He tasted blood in his mouth and realized that she had split his lip.

"Feisty huh Highness," he searched her face, but she wore a mask that hid everything she felt. He noticed that her mouth had softened against his prior to the slap and that she was responding. She tasted like peaches and if he wasn't bleeding he would have gone back for a second try.

"Don't ever touch me again," she hissed and took a step back. Despite her protest she noted, that unlike many of her brothers' friends, Kaiba's kiss didn't disgust her. She tasted coffee on his breath, which wasn't unpleasant and after the initial violence his softness intrigued her. Did she want him to try again?

_What am I going insane? I'll never let him again, besides after that hit he'll never try...am I disappointed? The stress must be getting to me..._

Kaiba wiped his lower lip and looked at the flecks of blood on his fingers.

She felt a pang of regret, he wasn't trying to rape her, and she knew that. Unfortunately, she was quite skittish thanks to the tormenting she took from her brothers. How many times had wages been made against her virtue? How many men had tried to take that precious gift from her? She fought like a demon to keep her dignity, and she had succeeded. Kaiba was the first man to take an interest in her for her, not because he was dared to or because he had a wager going. That scared her more than anything. The only man she had allowed to kiss her was Ryan; she now understood what Raine meant by "boiling blood" because Seto's kiss was in a league of its own.

He could see she was lost in thought, she was playing with her hair and the look on her face was total confusion...it was priceless.

"Have you ever been kissed before?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," she was still in a world of her own.

"By who?" He was almost sure it would be Ryan, but he needed to know.

"The man who wrote the letter you read," she looked up at him. His eyes were still soft, but as always, unreadable.

He wanted to ask more, but he heard voices and turned to see who was coming. He was shocked he hadn't noticed that they had been all alone, until now.

"There you are!" Mokuba yelled as he came running over "I was worried I thought you got lost."

"She's fine Mokuba," Kaiba turned to him.

"Dinner is ready big brother, are you going to join us?" Mokuba's voice was so hopeful that it caused Iolite to smile. He really did worship Kaiba.

"No, I have work to do," he turned and started walking away from the two of them. Iolite decided to intervene, she just wasn't sure if it was for Mokuba or her.

"Kaiba," she called out to his retreating back.

He paused, "What?" he answered without turning around. He didn't sound annoyed for once.

"Could you please join us for dinner?" She hardly recognized her own voice it sounded so insignificant.

He turned and looked her over, "If I finish what I'm working on I'll join you."

It was as close to a yes as she'd get and she knew it.

"Come on," Mokuba grabbed her hand and led her away.

Kaiba watched the two and frowned, he had needed a few more minutes with her shield down. He had to solve her, if that was possible. He ran his tongue over his wounded lip, a small price to pay for something so disarming and sweet. He'd simply kiss all of her secrets to the surface.

"I wouldn't count on Kaiba joining us for dinner," the boy admonished quietly, "he hardly ever eats with me. Every once in awhile I'll take dinner to his office, but even then he's usually too busy to stop work just to eat. He's very dedicated."

"Obsessive is more like it," she said quietly, he didn't seem to hear. "Does he ever do anything just to enjoy it? Something that isn't work related?"

"He duels," Mokuba answered matter-of-factly.

She knew he was a top duelist; maybe, just maybe she could bring him down a few pegs. The Kaiba brother she needed to defeat wasn't the little one it was the big one. A simple plan was hatching in her mind and a smile crept across her lips. Mokuba just pointed out the chink in Kaiba's armour and she was going to use that to her advantage.

**Part 2**

Dinner was amazing, between all the food and Joey trying to cram everything down his throat at the same time she was constantly amused. Conversations drifted in and out and she began to learn more about these remarkable people. She missed her Dad and her friends, but it just didn't seem so bad here anymore.

Once dessert was finished they all moved into the screening room to watch a movie. Mai snuggled up against Joey, then chastised him for burping against her ear. Yugi sat with Tea, the two quietly held hands. Mokuba was snuggled on a recliner by himself, she knew it wouldn't be long before he fell asleep.

She looked at her watch and saw that it was 8:00. She wondered when they would leave. Raine wasn't in the room, so she decided to go find him. No one noticed her leave the room.

She walked down one of the hallways, thinking it might lead back to the dining room, but she was wrong. Now she found herself near the garage, she decided she would go through it to get around to the back of the house and then double back to the patio. The garage was dark, but she managed to find her way out the back door. Once outside she took in a deep breath, the night was cool and the air was so fresh, she could smell the rain coming and smiled. She had to climb a small gate to get into the yard. Hopefully there were no attack dogs on duty.

She slowly made her way down the garden steps to the pool. There were low lights on, but nothing to help her see. She stopped at the pool, looking at the spot where she and Kaiba had argued earlier, then she thought about his office, where they argued, oh, and when they first met they argued, last time she saw him-they argued. Was this a pattern? She smiled, he was exasperating. She looked up at the back of the mansion and saw a dim light on in one of the rooms. It was on the second floor, and she could almost guarantee that that was his office. He was still working. She hadn't seen him since their kiss; she traced a finger over her mouth. Had it affected him? She made her way back up to the mansion and entered through the French doors. She was still looking for Raine, but had no idea where to find him. She scanned the books lining one of the walls...she wasn't one to watch TV; she picked up 'Turn of the Screw' and plopped down on the couch to read it.

Kaiba had watched her walk around by the pool, did she look up at his office? Was it his imagination? She aroused him. He purposely stayed away from dinner to avoid seeing her again. He now looked at his computer screen. His transaction was complete...8 percent of Mortimer. His purchase was complete. Now he had leverage.


	8. Devastation

A/N: I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh characters...they'd all be in romance novels if I did...

SetoLover: I'm so glad you're enjoying this...I'm trying to create tension...hope I'm successful...yeah, being Iolite would be totally wild...just wait til later chapters...I have some interesting ideas...thanks for making me realize the mistake about Mokuba it won't happen again, didn't mean for it to happen in the first place

Whitejello: I'll try to make the kissing less random...any suggestions?

MukyuuTenshi: I'm typing as fast as I can...lol...

Chapter 8

She woke with a start. The book had fallen to the floor and the noise startled her awake. She sat up quickly, her heart pounding. She had been having a nightmare of some sort, probably about her brother, and couldn't remember it. Her eyes searched the dimly lit room looking for a clock. A grandfather clock in the corner told her it was 3am. She fell asleep? She never did that. Her guard had been down for several hours.

She started to stand up when she saw something move in the corner of her eye. She turned quickly, lost her balance and fell backwards over her shoes. She landed with a thud, cursing out loud at her own stupidity. A hand was stretched down to her, she took it gladly and pulled herself up.

"Are you alright?" Kaiba asked, as he looked her over. A smile played about his lips.

"Fine, just a bruised ego."

"Probably a bruised backside too," he mocked her. "You really should take better care of your things. If you didn't just flip your shoes off everywhere you wouldn't have tripped over them." Then again, with bare feet and her hair tangled all around her she looked like an angel, he wasn't complaining.

"I hate shoes," she said as she pulled her hand away from his grip. "How long were you skulking in the dark watching me?" She rubbed her hip where she knew a bruise was starting.

"An hour or so," he answered as if it didn't matter. "I finally finished my work and so I wanted to see what the 'Scooby-gang' was up to."

"Are you always so insulting," she laughed, despite herself.

He liked her laugh, and liked that he had caused it. "When I can be, what can I say, it's a hobby."

"Where is everyone?" She whispered, suddenly aware of the time and their being completely alone. She tried to increase the distance between them, "are they still in the screening room? Are they asleep?"

He could tell she was nervous. He had made her nervous. This fact intrigued him.

"They're all asleep, I carried Mokuba to bed, but the rest of them are where they fell asleep. When I discovered you weren't there I went looking for you. So, was the book interesting?"

"Hmmmm," she had dazed off, distracted by his presence, another thing that wasn't like her.

"The book you were reading, was it interesting?" He hated repeating himself.

"Oh, I've read that book before. It's one of my favorites, I like ghost stories."

"Maybe you should lay off ghost stories so you won't be so...jumpy." He pried the hair off the fingers she had been twisting it around.

"Nervous habit of mine," she turned away from him. There was tension in the air, but at least they weren't quarrelling. "My Dad thinks someday I'll be bald because of my hair twisting, I never pull it out, though, just knot it up."

He looked at her evenly; she really had no clue how beguiling she was. "I seriously doubt with all of your hair that baldness is a concern." His fingers worked dexterously at the knot she had created. He wondered how it would feel draped over...he shook the thought out of his head. He softly placed the curl on her shoulder.

Her heart hammered, did he know how he was affecting her? She had to keep reminding herself that he was an enemy, and that he would gladly use her. She closed her eyes and tried to still her ragged breath.

He took a few steps closer to her.

She felt him closing in on her, she didn't like it. She turned quickly so her back wasn't to him and promptly tripped over her shoes again. This time he caught her. She gasped as he prevented her fall. His arms around her were intoxicating; she looked at him through lowered lashes.

"Highness..." he whispered questioningly, his mouth so close to her lips.

"Y-Yes," she stammered.

"You really need to keep track of your things..."

Her eyes snapped open; he was making fun of her! The audacity! She was furious!

"Let me go," she struggled in his arms, "Release me now!"

"As you wish," he let her go and she tumbled over the shoes. He started laughing. It sounded so foreign coming from him that she found herself openly staring at him. His face was relaxed and his smile actually touched his cold eyes. He was a heartbreaker, she thought to herself. Heaven help the poor girl who seriously falls for him. Then she realized she had fallen, over her shoes, and was sprawled on the floor in front of him. She started laughing with him. Where were the calculating intellects?

Kaiba came to his senses first. She was still giggling, a sound he hated from most girls, but hers was different. He wanted to kiss her again, but stopped himself. He had a question for her first.

"I want to ask you something, and I want a truthful answer," he said seriously. Damn she was beautiful, a light pink blush tinged her cheeks, her eyes were soft from laughter and her hair was again being knotted around her fingers.

"If I give you a truthful answer you have to do something for me," she countered.

"How will I know if you're telling the truth?"

"You'll have to trust my word Kaiba, I'm honest to a fault."

"Very well," he said eyeing her mouth hungrily, "what do you want from me?"

"I want to use your computer again, but this time I want privacy for whatever I read. That means you can't snoop and read it, it has to remain my own business."

"You have my word," he said.

"Ask away Kaiba," she went from the floor to the couch. The man was too close for her comfort on the floor. She needed some distance.

"Why do you want to buy up so much of Mortimer's company?"

She knew she couldn't lie, he'd know if she lied. She just had to figure out how to tell the truth without revealing too much.

"I think he's a letch and that his company is better off dissolved than being run by that maniac. I'm not alone in this, my comp...er...my boss agrees with me."

"So," Kaiba started, "You're buying up pieces of his company for your boss to take it over? Does he know how to run a company like Mortimer's?"

"He doesn't want to run it, he wants to raid it."

"A corporate raid huh? Mortimer still holds 33 and you only established 27, how can you raid without majority?"

She eyed him, "I only need 7 more. The raid will happen once majority is with Cathway."

"You still need 51 to raid a corporation Highness." His reminder was scolding.

"Not necessarily if one has backers who see dollar signs in the dissolve. Don't forget Mortimer is an evil man," she shook slightly, and wound her hair around her finger, "he has managed to cross so many people no one on his board would hesitate to turn coat on him. I have an inside track."

She looked, to him, like a cat watching a bowl of cream.

"How do you know him?"

"Mortimer?"

"Yes, you seem as if you have 'intimate' knowledge of the man," he watched her expression to see if he struck a nerve.

She sighed deeply, "You're asking a lot of questions Kaiba, I think if I answer more you should have to give me more than access to a computer terminal and privacy."

"What do you want," he was thankful of her ignorance, if she had only known she would have been given anything if she asked...

"Spend a day with Mokuba, no office, no phone calls and no computer." Her statement was simple. Naturally, he thought, it was for someone else. Now he was sure she didn't have a stingy bone, damn her wanted to kiss her...

"Done, now continue." He commanded.

"When?"

"Tomorrow. Now tell me about your relationship with 'the letch'."

"Fine. You know I have two brothers," he shook his head, but his eyes never left her face. "Aron and Simon have formed an alliance with...him. They destroyed my Father's company, the one he tried to start for a support means after his abdication. Mortimer has been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. Even as a child he use to stalk me, my Dad sent me to America in part to keep him away from me." She shivered and closed her eyes against the awful memories.

"So, Robert Mortimer has his eyes on you?" Kaiba scoffed. He now had a problem with Mortimer, he had disliked the man before, now he was seething. He hated Joey touching her innocently, Mortimer would die at his hands before he was allowed to breathe the same air as her.

"He sees me as a challenge." She smiled at that fact. "I don't think anyone has given him more bruises or rejected him as much as I have. I think you can call it brutal rejection. I've insulted his 'masculinity' more times than I can remember. I suppose it started with my brothers betting that..." She noticed his anger and stopped. "Are you angry with me, again?"

"What did your brothers bet?" He bit out the words.

"The three of them have a long running bet. Basically, I think, they all have gambled on which day of the week he would finally...aaaa," she had no idea why she was being so open with him. Yugi had told her of the hard life Kaiba had led, maybe that was it, or because he listened intently. "Have me."

"He'll never 'have' you Highness...it's no longer your fight." Kaiba stated simply and she, for some reason, believed him.

He had no idea what he was going to do, but with the shares he acquired today and Kiaba Corp. being so immense, he had more power. If anyone were going to touch her it would be...who? Him? Did he want her? Hell yes, he finally admitted to himself he did, urgently.

She rose to her feet and stretched. A small yawn escaped her. She looked at him, a man she no longer understood. It was so much easier when he was someone to loathe. He stood and walked towards her. She looked at him, not sure what to make of him.

"I feel like you know all of my secrets, I don't know any of yours," she folded her arms across her chest and tried not to shrink away from him.

"I know you have more secrets than that Highness," he smiled, "and I intend to learn them all." He used his finger to tilt up her chin, "would you like to take a ride with me?"

It wasn't what she was expecting, but she smiled. "Where are you taking me?"

"To Kaiba Corp. You said you wanted to use a computer with privacy, at 3am there is nothing but privacy there."

"What about Raine? If he finds out I left here without him he'll kill me."

"He's asleep in the screening room too, I think too much food and exercise did in the whole lot. I'm keeping up my end of the bargain Princess." He gave her his arm to take.

She knew this would be a mistake, but she also knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She wrapped her arm around his and he led her to the garage. They got into a BMW convertible and sped off to Kaiba Corp.

They were a few minutes away when she realized she was alone with him for the first time. Every other time they had been together there were people there, or at least in earshot. It wasn't a date with him, but the butterflies were back.

They arrived a short time later and he took her in through his private entrance. Everything was quiet and a bit surreal. "I guess no one comes in at 3:30am huh?" She asked.

He looked down at her coldly, "I'm not that much of a slave driver."

"I guess they're expected in at 4am?" She smiled at her own jest.

"7am Highness," he explained as they reached the elevator. He pushed the 30th floor and immediately the doors closed. She felt the car rush up to the floor and the doors opened. It wasn't what she had expected, there were lots of terminals here, she thought he was taking her to his office.

He took her hand, which caught her by surprise, and led her out onto the floor.

He turned to face her, "Pick a terminal, they all have a unique sign in code." He handed her a piece of paper with the unique code on it. "I know you know how to destroy paths, now you can be sure I won't trace your key strokes."

"Where are you going?" She held his hand tight as he tried to break his grip on her.

"I'll be in my office on the 50th floor, use this elevator to come to me."

They locked eyes for a moment, "You'll have to release my hand if you want to log on."

"Oh," she gasped, not even realizing she was still holding his hand. She let go and immediately missed his warmth. She shivered again, he noticed. Something was bothering her and once he had her alone in his office he'd find out what. He didn't intend on taking her back to where he had to share her.

She watched him disappear into the elevator and the doors shut. He was a man of his word. She wandered down the first row of computers and sat down at a desk, which had flowers on it. She smiled, someone's birthday probably. She quickly logged on and checked her e-mail.

_Princess I have news for you, nothing good unfortunately. You have to run, our plan didn't work. The shares we thought we had are gone! I have no idea who grabbed them, but they are gone. Even worse I found out Aron's plans for you. He is now trying to track you down. Once he finds you you will be forced to return home, he'll destroy your travel papers. Mortimer is here, as well, waiting for your return. Your brother is delivering you into the hands of the devil himself. Hide yourself, tell Raine to get you somewhere safe, never come back, defy this new monarchy. To hell with Aron, your Father wants you safe, so do I, do what you must...I beg you to run. Yours-Ryan_

She sat there in silence. She read the note again and again. Her hands were shaking, her stomach was ready to heave. It couldn't be true. Her heart ached, even they couldn't be THAT evil. Then again, she knew they could. What should she do now? She stood up, panic lacing her blood.

Without another thought she ran to the elevator and hit the basement button. She had to run, but to where? She felt the car rush to the bottom, her mind was still on the 30th floor. Breathing was difficult and was slowly becoming impossible. This was a fate worse than death, delivered into the hands of her nemesis.

The doors opened and she stumbled out. It had started to rain. She tried to walk, but her legs seemed to fail her, she managed a few steps before she fell to her knees. Lightning flashed above her, the thunder was deafening. Her control was lost. After all this time, all the bottling and holding back, her reserve was abandoned. Her body was raked by sobs, everything was gone now. She didn't save anything. Her Father gave up everything, for nothing. She failed at the last shot she had. The loss was total and complete. She would know real pain now, Mortimer would savor her agony. All the running and dodging she did was for nothing, she would now be broken, and she'd be forced to pay back all the times she fought him. A pound of her flesh.

The world seemed to spin, as if she were drunk, she collapsed onto the still warm pavement as the storm raged over her limp body. Her mind couldn't grasp her fate, her loss was complete.


	9. Reprieval

A/N: I'm sooooo pleased that you all like the story so far...hopefully it won't be too hard for me to keep updating. I'm moving back down to my home, it still has no electric thanks to hurricane Frances, but we're staying with friends down there that are up and going. Hopefully they have a DSL line I can plug my laptop into...we'll see, if not electric should be back in my house the 19th...Anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters from it...I own my own characters (and I'd love to rent Kaiba for a few years...)

Dragon Master's Mistress: Thank you for the great review! I can't wait to check out your stories.

Seto Lover: I know Seto would hate to be the knight, but I have to go there. He won't lose his edge I promise or else it wouldn't be Kaiba would it? I'm hoping all the set up with suspense is paying off, or at least will in the end. Thanks for more great input...

Mukyuu Tenshi: Am I making him too soft? I hope not...let me know please...

Thanks for the reviews please keep R&R so I know what I'm doing right and wrong...

Chapter 9

Kaiba's eyes left his laptop the instant he heard the elevator descend. Having a private entrance to his office meant the elevator was for his use solely. He got up and walked over to the doors, she would be here in just minutes. He had to admit that he missed her presence. She provoked him, but not always in a bad way. She made no sense; she had slapped him, but then asked him to dinner. She insulted him, but told him her deepest secrets. She fell and yet she laughed because he was laughing. He was mesmerized. He frowned when he saw the floor number decreasing instead of increasing. Was she going to a different floor? Why? He furiously started hitting his call button.

The elevator stopped at the car bay area. Did she misunderstand him? Maybe she was trying him again. He did tell her to 'come to him' maybe she was refusing to bend to him. Once again his blood pressure shot up. He would just have to go after her. The elevator was finally returning to him. When the doors opened it was empty. He got in quickly and started to repeatedly press the floor she had gotten off on. It was the longest ride down and he mentally noted that he wanted the elevator fixed to go faster, it was taking too long.

When the doors opened he realized the heavens had as well. He parked outside because the night had been so nice, now he regretted it. He scanned the parking area for her. Where the hell did she go? He noted the car was there...his heart lurched in his chest...he saw her crumpled on the ground next to the car. He raced over to her, whoever did this would be severely dealt with.

He cursed out loud, he should have never left her alone. What the hell was he thinking when she was in such a precarious position? He looked around as the torrents fell, scanning the area for the culprit who dragged her out here. He turned her onto her back, from her fetal position. He glanced over her, looking for blood or a blatant injury. Seeing none he scooped her up into his arms. She felt cold, that frightened him. He got back into the elevator and rode it up to his office.

She was limp against him, but she was shivering which meant she was at least alive. His own hands were shaking. She had to be all right. He would have given anything to have her argue to be put down, even a slap was better than this. He pulled her tighter to his chest, her face was buried against his neck. He felt her draw in a ragged breath, he closed his eyes and decided to fire the man who installed this slow elevator.

When the doors opened he carried her over to the couch, he reluctantly put her down. He knew he had to shut off the elevator in order to prevent her attacker from finding them. Once this was done he walked back to her. She looked destroyed and his heart sank. Her hair was in knotted, wet tangles all around her, her clothes were soaked through and dirty from the ground, her face pale but, by far, the worst thing was the tears. He started to stroke her face and he whispered her name.

"Iolite," the name feeling unfamiliar on his lips, "come on now you have to wake up."

He slapped her face lightly, to rouse her. "Iolite, open your eyes. You're safe now. Whoever did this is gone." He was kneeling beside her, dripping wet himself. She finally started coming around. When she opened her eyes his face was inches from hers.

"Seto..."

"I'm right here. Who did this?" He tried to control his anger, he didn't want her to think he was mad. Then again, he wasn't mad he was incensed. His fingers were stroking her cheek, her eyes opened, but looked wild. She jumped and pulled back and away from him. He wasn't about to let her go.

Quickly he moved close again, she couldn't shut down.

"What happened? Who did this? Come on Highness you need to start telling me."

She started shaking her head, what could she say? Her brothers were coming for her like a child and then would hand her over to Mortimer, like a prostitute. Was it embarrassment, no, it was defeat and she was mortified. He was the last person she wanted aware of her predicament.

"Where is he?

Somewhere in her fog she heard Kaiba questioning her. "Where is who?"

"The man or men who did this to you." She must have been hurt bad because she couldn't seem to focus, he thought to himself.

She was finally beginning to understand, he thought she was attacked. Did she look that bad? She shook her head and snapped out of her trance. He could see the fire returning to her eyes. He sighed, she had scared the hell out of him.

"What happened?" His voice had a hard edge, he wanted answers...now.

"I...I...I can't tell you." She was stammering, what could she say?

"You can and you will or I'll shake it out of you," his hands tightened around her shoulders. He didn't want to hurt her, but she had scared him out of his mind.

Her fog cleared completely and she looked into his eyes. There was terror and confusion there. He was concerned about her...hadn't he called her 'Iolite'? He had never done that before, she smiled at him.

He couldn't believe the smile. Where the hell had that come from?! He stood up and turned his back to her. For a few minutes he thought she was mortally wounded, and now, here she was smiling at him. He didn't know whether he should strangle her or kiss her senselessly.

"I'm fine Kaiba," she admonished, "temporary brain drain."

It was back to Kaiba, he rather liked hearing his name on her lips. He turned back to her. "I deserve an explanation, you collapsed in the parking lot! You were suppose to come up here when you were done, why the detour? Who or what possessed you to leave the building? Do you know the jeopardy you could have put yourself in?!"

She tried to level her gaze at him, but failed miserably as the contents of the letter again reared in her mind. She was a piece of meat, probably expensive meat (she wondered how much Mortimer paid for her return) but meat nonetheless. What would that demon do to her? She shivered and an involuntary tear slid down her cheek.

Kaiba's demeanor softened at her tear. For some reason he knew tears came at a great price to her. She wouldn't waste them on trivial things. He walked back to her and kneeled beside her. He softly stroked the tear away. She granted him another smile.

"You're this upset because of the computer," he whispered, he finally got it.

"What did you find out Highness? Is it your Father? Has something else gone wrong?"

He had her, "I can't tell you."

"Why not? Maybe I can help. Kaiba Corp is a billion dollar company. I could do something to help."

This was not the same man who argued with her, what had gotten into him? She nervously twirled a damped curl between her fingers. He stayed her hand with his own.

"I'm afraid all the money in Kaiba Corp is useless to me. It isn't a money issue on my part anymore." Another tear slipped down her cheek.

"What is the issue?" He asked, sure that his money could change whatever her problem was.

"Go read my e-mail, you'll see."

He stood up and went to his laptop. He remembered the access code and the address. It was wonderful to have a photogenic memory. He traced his way to her mail. After it opened his eyes raced over the letter. It couldn't be. Had his stupidity sealed her fate? If he had stayed away from the interests would that have saved her? Had he undermined her effort to save herself? He hung his head, what had he done?

She whispered in a haunted voice. "I won't be able to run from my brothers anymore, they sold me to Robert Mortimer." She stood up and in a raw voice exclaimed, "I'm a Royal whore."

**Part 2**

A short time had passed in Kaiba's office. He made her change into a shirt of his. Keeping clothes in the office was a habit of his, for when he pulled all nighters. He also changed into dry clothes. They hardly spoke, just a few curt words. Kaiba had called on his best attorneys to see what they could do to prevent this deportation. The only thing that was certain was until Aron became King he had no power over her. After, it was her duty to obey, or be declared a traitor to her throne. Kaiba had 4 days to save her. He had put her in this hard place. He figured out too late that she was going to try to bring down Mortimer in order to render him penniless. If she had accomplished that her brothers would have had no interest in him. She would have been safe until the next highest bidder came along.

He looked at her, she was standing before the window looking out over the city. The sunlight was streaming in, bathing her in a golden glow. His shirt barely reached her knees, he smiled absently, she had the longest legs. Her hair was, after much frustration with knots, neatly pulled into a French braid. Her features were solemn. He could stare at her for hours. She glanced over at him and smiled.

How would he protect her from her brothers? How would he, a non-royal person, protect a princess from a king? His secretary's buzz crashed reality into him. Raine and Mokuba had arrived. He told her to send them in.

A shiver raced down her spine, Raine was going to kill her for running off with Kaiba. She walked over to his desk, in an effort to let him shield her.

Kaiba noticed her apprehension, "It's my fault, not yours and I'll explain it to Raine."

She nodded, "thanks."

Raine stormed in with Mokuba smiling in tow.

"Just what in the hell did the two of you think you were doing? She could have been spotted, or worse, taken! You pulled her away from a safe zone and into an area that could have gotten her killed! I thought maybe between the both of you there were a few brain cells! What were you thinking?!"

Kaiba felt her shrinking behind him, he was not use to being yelled at and it took him by surprise.

"Get over here young lady..." Raine growled.

Kaiba was shocked as she approached the enraged man. Part of him wanted to shove her back behind him.

"I could kill you," Raine snarled as he pulled her into a tight embrace, "don't ever do that to me again."

Kaiba's tension left him.

The four of them sat down once the coffee came and Iolite explained everything to Raine and Mokuba.

"I have no idea what to do Raine," she sunk into the couch.

"We'll run and keep running," Raine grabbed her hand, "Be a traitor, a criminal even, but don't let that bastard get his hands on you."

"She won't run," Kaiba said with determination in his voice, "she'll stay here."

"If she stays they'll find her and then she'll become Mortimer's 'play-thing' and I won't have that." Raine retaliated. "You can't protect her Kaiba, running will."

Mokuba shot up, "He can protect her!"

Iolite smiled at the boy, he believed his big brother was superman. Unfortunately he wasn't. "Mokuba," she said gently kneeling in front of him, "Kaiba can do a lot, but saving me isn't in his power. I have to leave."

"He can save you, I know how." Mokuba whispered to her.

"How?" Kaiba almost yelled at him. If there was anything he could do he would, and gladly.

"Marry her, before Aron becomes king."

All eyes fell on the boy. It seemed as if everyone had ceased breathing.

Kaiba's mind raced, make her his wife? He wanted her, desperately, but wife? He hardly knew her. What he knew was a challenge, she fought him constantly, how would that make a marriage?

"You could stay married long enough for her to be safe and then you could end the marriage." Raine added, "It could be a marriage of convenience."

"You'd be a Prince Big Brother," Mokuba chimed in.

Iolite felt the room spinning; she was intrigued by him, but not enough for a marriage. She barely trusted him. What would this marriage mean? She couldn't go through with it.

"You don't have to Kaiba," she let him off the hook. "I'll marry Ryan."

"Do you think he won't be tracked to here?" Raine yelled at her, "If he were to come here for you, both of you would be in trouble. They're waiting for him to make a move so they can find you! For someone so smart you're acting stupid."

"I could marry someone else..." she panicked as Kaiba's eyes narrowed on her.

"Would marriage to me be so bad?" Kaiba rounded the table and approached her.

"I have no idea what it would be, but I do know you won't want to." She tried to move away from him, but he kept coming. "I could marry Joey...if Mai said yes. Yugi is so involved with Tea, maybe Serenity would let me..." she ran out of room as her back slammed into the bookcase. He had her cornered.

"You'll marry me," Kaiba said fiercely. The mere fact that she was considering marrying anyone else infuriated him.

Raine and Mokuba slipped out of the room, this was one battle they wanted to avoid being in the middle of.

"I won't," she stammered.

"Why not?" He demanded. "You'd rather marry one of those geeks?

His mouth was inches away from hers. "You make me too nervous. It would never work, besides you..."

She never finished her thought, Kaiba's mouth claimed hers. It was a rough kiss at first, but quickly became a teasing kiss, as they tasted each other thoroughly. His mouth was amazing as it claimed her top, then bottom lip. Her tongue tentatively sought his and he rewarded her with a groan. His arms wrapped around her waist and her fingers slid through his hair. She pressed herself close to him, reveling in his warmth. His mouth left hers, in order to burn a path to her neck. She was a passionate creature and he wanted to test her limits. Soft kisses burned her neck, his teeth raked the soft skin at the hollow of her throat. She tasted like heaven. He moved to her ear, breathing heavily against it. Her body was rebelling against her, wanting him, she always kept herself in check, but he was pulling the walls down.

"Say you'll marry me," he growled against her ear. "Say it..."

"Kaiba please," she sounded desperate.

"Say yes highness," his tongue flicked her delicate earlobe, she practically melted into him.

"No, it's not right," she tried to reason.

His breath was on her ear again, "Say yes Highness." Softly his mouth explored her neck again, his hot breath making her knees weak, soon she would be relying soley on his strength to keep her up.

"Kaiba..." she implored.

His arms held her tighter, crushing her against his body while his mouth tantalized her ear and neck. She couldn't deny him much longer.

"You're mine Iolite...say it..."

"Yes..." she relented.

His mouth claimed hers again and she eagerly returned his passion.

A/N: I had to show his human side here...the Seto we all know and love will return in the next chapter I promise. I know 'cause it is all ready written...


	10. Defiance

A/N: We got home and the power is on! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I do own my characters.

Dragon Master's Mistress: Thank you so much for all the praise...just hope the story is worthy...

Solo-girl: A 'bad' Kaiba is a good thing isn't it?

whitejello: I'm glad you liked the chapter. As for her casual thoughts of marriage, she never considered marriage. She is more of a free spirit who is very distrustful of men. She is the owner of a major company, royal and a bit arrogant...marriage wasn't in her plans, at least for awhile. Kaiba has his work cut out for him I'd say... I'm glad you think this kiss was better. I like the italics idea...he is too sexy...lol

SetoLover: I just always love your reviews. I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Kaiba is also marrying her because he feels guilty (at least that's what he's telling himself). I'm trying to get into his head...an impossible task.

Mukyuu Tenshi: lol

Chapter 10

Iolite stood in shocked silence, her back still against the bookcase. She had agreed to marry Kaiba. Even now, standing there, she could hardly believe it. He had gone back to his desk and was busy making phone calls, arrangements for the deed. This was insane, she knew she had to stop it, and him. From a recess in the back of her mind came and old saying "Better the devil you know." That was a dilemma, she didn't know him. It had only been days. Why would he agree to this? Then again, why the hell would she?

"Are you going to move?" he remarked as he hung the phone up.

"Eventually," she said evenly. She didn't want him to know how rattled she was. Her mind started turning over the situation. She could use this to her advantage. She would be safe from the bizarre plan her brothers had. Staying here was a plus (going home to be tormented would have sucked) and now she had time. She had time to figure out a way to amend the problems her Father had started. She could figure out a way to get her brothers out of control, possibly get her Uncle in and, in turn, give herself freedom from the monarchy. She never wanted to be a princess, now, maybe she would never have to be Queen.

Kaiba regarded her, she was completely lost in her own thoughts. He wanted to know what they were, but he knew better than to drag it out of her. She'd unfold soon enough. Marriage to her wouldn't be so bad, his bed would be warm and Mokuba liked her a lot. Hell, her looks drove him to distraction. The attraction was fervent and that was a better start than most. This marriage may have been to correct a problem he had caused, but it would have many perks as well. His eyes scrutinized her. She had power, a monarchy to be exact; intelligence, the depths of which he was yet to tap; looks, no one had ever appealed to him the way she had; she also challenged him in ways no woman ever had, but there was also vulnerability. He smirked he'd be a prince, not something he ever really set out to become, but it did have its appeal. _Prince Seto Kaiba CEO of Kaiba Corp._ It had a ring to it.

She was still standing there, staring off at something he couldn't quite see. Everything was happening very fast.

"Are you going to come around soon?" He asked coldly, "Or do I have to come over there and kiss you again?"

He was almost disappointed at the speed she used. She quickly sat in the chair across the desk from him and settled her gaze on his eyes. "I think I've been kissed enough."

_She is something else, I kiss her and she melts into me, but she refuses to let down the wall. If she thinks I'm going to ignore my own desire for her she's insane_

"Everything is set for tomorrow afternoon," he informed her. "A justice of the peace will be at the mansion by 2. We'll have a short ceremony and a dinner. Under the circumstances I don't think much else is necessary."

_So, that's it? Girls wait their whole lives for their wedding day and I have no say in mine. Now I'll have just a quick ceremony, with no pomp and circumstance, no frills. It feels more like a trip to the store than a wedding. Not that I ever wanted a 'Princess Di' wedding, but this feels so sterile._

"I want to invite the gang," she added, "if I can't have my friends and family from home I at least want them there."

Kaiba really didn't want them, but if it would make the day go by smoother, so be it.

"Do you have a white dress?" he asked her. "If not I'll have someone pick one up for you. We want to get this thing started off on the right foot."

She couldn't believe him, this wasn't a _real_ wedding, and it wasn't a true marriage. He wanted her in white?! Since when was he assigned the task of picking out her clothes anyway?

"You do know this is a marriage of circumstance, right?" she tried to remind him.

"I know I'm saving your royal ass Highness." His eyes were ice cold.

"Whatever Kaiba," she got up and went to the door. "I'll be at Yugi's if you need to tell me what else is expected of me."

He rose and cornered her before she was able to turn the handle. "You'll go back to Yugi's and pack. Tonight you move in to the mansion where you can be kept safe."

"I won't, I'm not _living_ with you until we're married, and even then it's debatable."

She stuck her chin up, openly defying him.

"You will be living in the Kaiba mansion and it will be starting today! This isn't a discussion, it's an order. If you want it to seem like we're really married you better start cooperating." With that he turned and went back to his desk.

"Your definition of cooperation is to follow your orders?" She walked back to his desk and planted herself firmly in front of him. "I'm not a dog Kaiba, I won't come when you snap your fingers."

"You'll do as you're told," he was busy typing on his laptop, and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"I still have a mind of my own, Kaiba. I'll stay at Yugi's until I'm good and ready." She turned on her heel and left him staring after her. She didn't turn around to acknowledge his retort, with a slam of his door she approached Raine. Mokuba had her bodyguard playing some computer game in the outer office. Mokuba could melt the coldest heart, how could these brothers be so different?

"I'm ready to go back to Yugi's," she announced to the two.

They both rose and walked over to her. Raine could tell she was mad, but he didn't really want to know why. He surmised it involved the young man she just alleviated herself of.

She walked over to the elevators and pushed the call down button. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was done. The door to Kaiba's office flew open, startling all of them. Kaiba scanned the room quickly until his eyes found her. She pressed the button a few more times, a bit nervous of the rage he seemed to be in.

He approached her quickly, grabbing her arm.

"I swear you are the most infuriating girl I've ever met," his eyes bore into her. "Would you like the whole company to know you're here? I can keep you safe at the mansion, but in a building filled with people I don't have much of a chance. If anyone recognized you it would all be over."

Her attempts at jerking her arm away were failing miserable. "Let go of me Kaiba," she said with a voice full of venom.

"Not until you listen," she calmed herself, but attempted to pry his fingers away.

His other hand grabbed the offending wrist.

"You have to leave through my private elevator, otherwise you'll be spotted."

"Fine, whatever, just let me go already."

He pulled her into his office, followed by Raine. Mokuba went back to his computer game. He wasn't going anywhere, and the fighting was getting annoying.

"Take her to Yugi's, get her things and then both of you come to the mansion," he threw out to Raine.

"I already told you 'no'." She reminded him distractedly.

"I didn't ask," he reminded her, then directed his words to Raine. "She'll be safe at the mansion. I also think it would look better if she were staying with me rather than the Motou's. This has to look authentic, I'm known for not liking that group. So this is how it has to be played."

Raine nodded at Kaiba. She was now livid.

"Neither of you decide what I do. Kaiba-you don't own me. Raine-you work for me. I decide what's right and I don't want to go to Kaiba's yet."

"Shall I tie her up and gag her?" Raine asked Kaiba seriously.

"Do what you have to, just get her back to my place tonight." Kaiba smirked. _Tying her up and gagging her could be pleasant. No power struggles and no complaining. It might be interesting to have a compliant wife over a wildcat._

Iolite knew Raine would never hurt her, but the man looked positively formidable.

"Fine," she relented, "but I get to bring what I want with me."

"Whatever Highness, just get on with it and let me get back to work. I really don't have time for all this drama." Kaiba sat back down behind his desk and went at his laptop as if nothing had happened. "Oh, and Princess" he smirked, "I think your clothes are dry enough to wear now, not that I don't appreciate the sight of you in my shirt, but I'm not into sharing my wife's 'assets' with everyone." He turned back to his laptop in a trivializing manner.

She blushed from head to toe. What she really wanted was to storm out of his office as she was to further aggravate him, but she didn't want to be seen like this in public, or around him anymore. She went into the bathroom and quickly dressed. Her jeans were dry, but her shirt was wet, she decided to keep his on. When she exited the bathroom Kaiba and Raine had their heads together, but quickly stopped talking in her presence.

She quietly walked over to the elevator and pushed the call button. Raine came over to her and waited beside her. She wasn't going to talk to him ever again.

When the doors opened she turned to face Kaiba as she got in, "In order to share my 'assets'," she said with icy undertones, "You have to own them-you never will." The doors shut before Kaiba could get a word in edge wise. He smirked and shook his head. He would own her, tomorrow at 2pm.

The car ride to Yugi's was quiet. She decided that Raine was no longer her friend. He had sided with Kaiba and that was mutiny in her eyes. Living in the Kaiba mansion was going to be a treat, all she knew for sure was that her bedroom better be as far from Kaiba's as possible. A marriage made in hell. A life that had turned to a nightmare. A future that was now completely uncertain. Where had she gone wrong? She had to talk to Ryan and find out where Mortimer's interests went. She was intent on bringing the man down. The only plus she saw at Kaiba's was the access to the WWW. She could spend her time ripping the connections Aron and Simon had apart. The monarchy monies were strictly held, so outside funding for their 'lifestyles' had to be subsidized. They had their 'cash cows' and once she destroyed them it would only be a matter of time before they would resort to illegal thrills. She had a plan, and now Kaiba had given her the means. The ride to Yugi's seemed quick, she was so lost in thought.

Yugi was so happy to see her.

"I have some bad news," she finally managed after her told her all the updates.

"Not your Father, I hope," he asked sincerely concerned.

"No, he's fine, but I'm afraid I'm not."

"Are you sick, is there something I can do to help?"

She smiled weakly, "I'm afraid help is too late coming. I'm marrying Kaiba tomorrow."

His eyes got bigger as he gasped, "Why?!"

"My brother decided to trap me into coming home. It would be hell for me. Kaiba agreed to marry me in order to protect me. I don't know what's worse."

Yugi noticed the unshed tears, "Kaiba isn't so bad. He's honorable, and even though he's a bit dense at times he comes through in the end. He had a hard life, but thanks to Mokuba he has survived. He won't hurt you."

She wanted to believe him in the worst way. "Could you do me a big favor Yugi?"

She asked so sweetly he wouldn't refuse, "Could all of you come over tonight and stay with me? I have to move in with Kaiba. He and Raine think it's the best thing for me to do. It wouldn't be so bad if you all were there to help me settle in."

"Do you think Kaiba would mind?" Yugi asked, on the verge of saying yes.

"He told me I could bring whatever I wanted and I want my friends there more than anything else."

"Of course, I'll call everyone I'm sure no one will let you down." They hugged and as he left her she flashed him a smile.

She started packing, thinking of how much fun it was going to be when Kaiba's jaw hit the floor. This was going to be well worth the price of admission.

She was almost done packing when Mai and Tea burst in.

"You can't marry that creep," Mai whined.

"You don't love him," Tea chimed in.

"I have to in order to stay here. It's just for now. I'm sure Kaiba will divorce me the minute my brothers are ousted. My brothers' demise won't take that long if it's up to me." She tried assuring the two.

"Can't you find someone else?" Mai suggested as Tea nodded frantically, in agreement.

"Who? Joey? Yugi? Tristan? I know the feelings in this group. I won't break up the relationships that are here in order to save me. Besides, Kaiba can keep me well protected. His mansion is a fortress and Kaiba Corp. is practically impenetrable. I'm safe as a kitten." She hoped they believed the last part more than she did.

They looked at her skeptically.

"So, if you have to do this how can we help?" Tea asked.

"Do you have a dress for the day? What do you have planned?" Mai asked.

"Tomorrow is the day. Kaiba arranged a justice of the peace and then a quick dinner afterwards. Nothing fancy."

They looked disappointed, but not surprised. A man like Kaiba didn't seem like the marrying type and frills were out of the question.

"Well," Mai sighed, "at least we can get you an amazing dress-right?"

Iolite strode over to the closet and pulled out a black dress. It was a bit old, and wasn't exactly high fashion. She wore it only once before, at Simon's 18th birthday party. She was about as thrilled now as she was then. The only reason she kept it was to fan the fires of hatred she felt for her brothers.

"Black?" Mai gasped, "for your wedding?"

Tea went to the closet and pulled out a cream colored gown, "Why not this, it would be perfect."

Mai joined her, "Or this," a gown the color of Iolite's eyes.

Iolite knew either dress would be a million times better than the black monstrosity she held. _We want to get this thing started off on the right foot_. His words resounded in her head. He wanted her in white, she would wear black.


	11. The Last Night of Freedom

A/N: Here I go again...I just love writing this story soooo much. I think I'm updating too often. How can I keep you all in suspense if I update on a daily basis?! Please keep reviewing...I'm lovin' the reviews I'm getting...thanks so much all of you! I can't say enough. OK...here goes the ritual...No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, wish I did. I don't own Harry Potter (no I haven't crossed over into those characters). I do own my characters and will fight to the death for them...there, how is that?

Chapter 11

Kaiba was expecting a quiet evening, what came through the door with Iolite produced anything but. The whole geek club in tow.

_What the hell is this? Weren't they just here yesterday? Aren't they coming tomorrow? This is insane I don't want them here, not now when I have the chance to have some peace and quiet. _

She noticed Kaiba stride over to her. She saw he wasn't happy and this realization gave her a small thrill.

"I need to talk to you," he grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards the library, "Now." Once inside he shut the door. She wouldn't look at him, for fear he'd see she was on the verge of laughter. It was funny how his anger could sometimes amuse her. She knew she was playing with fire when it came to his animosity, but stroking the flames was becoming an addiction. So was he, she thought.

"You know you're being very rude to our house guests, I wanted to show them to their rooms." She said with her back turned towards him. She didn't turn to face him.

"What is the meaning of this Highness?" he asked, just short of a yell.

"You said I could bring whatever I wanted with me. Well, I want them here."

He crossed the room to stand behind her, if she wouldn't look at him, he'd find other means of intimidation. "You're trying my patience," he growled against her ear. His warm breath stirred emotions in her that she could hardly stand. A secret part of her wanted more then just his breath against her skin. She steadier herself. _It's just a physical reaction because he's a man. If Ryan were doing the same I would be reacting the same way...wouldn't I?_

"I didn't realize you had patience," she moved away from him. "Although I think you do have a good memory. If you think back you did say I could bring 'anything', in order to get me here."

He knew she was right, damn she was good, how she manipulated him without him realizing it he couldn't figure. "I don't appreciate being 'played' Highness," he said coldly. More annoyed that she had crossed the room to stand away from him. She had said she wanted no more kissing, but it was all he could think of when she was near.

"Neither do I," she whispered.

"Are you implying I have played you?" He asked with confusion. He was itching to pull her hair out of the ponytail it was in.

"You've turned Raine against me, insisted I live here with you and you're forcing a marriage on me. What would you call all of that?" Now she turned with fire in her eyes that could melt his ice. "I'm in a strange place Kaiba, I hardly know anybody, and now I'm marrying a man I've only known as my enemy."

"Why am I your enemy Highness? Why was I ever? What did I do, that I have no awareness of?" He was spitting the words out at her with vengeance. Last night and this morning, obviously, didn't change him in her eyes.

"I work for Cathway, that makes you my enemy." She reminded him. She pushed past him and started for the door. "I'm getting our guests settled, if you want to join us, we'll be in the living room shortly."

He watched the door shut. Maybe he should just hand the share of Mortimer's company over to her, then she could raid him or whatever and he'd be free of her. She considered him her enemy, but her passion for him said otherwise. Letting her have her walls for now might calm her. He would marry her tomorrow, and, in doing so, he would go from enemy to husband. His house would be free of her 'guests', and he'd have a princess to tame. In the meantime he would avoid them all like the plague.

Mokuba showed everyone to his or her rooms. He was so excited at having a house full of people. The mansion, could at times, be lonely and daunting, but now it seemed so warm to him. He was excited about the wedding and getting Iolite as a sister. Even if it would only be a temporary thing, her presence would be welcome to him.

While the girls started unpacking Mokuba ran off to join the rest of the gang and watch some television before dinner was served.

Iolite, Tea and Mai were given 2 rooms that were joined. Iolite took the one with one bed while Tea and Mai took the room with two beds. The rooms were both exquisite. Tea and Mai loved the plush surroundings Kaiba's wealth bought. The oriental carpets and antique mahogany furniture were fit for royalty. Iolite liked her room too, but wished she were home with her father. All of Kaiba's money couldn't buy her the comforts of home. She was glad to be near her two new friends, and thankful to be as far from a certain blue-eyed demon as possible.

"I still can't believe that you're wearing that tomorrow." Mai eyed the dress as it hung from the bathroom door. "I wouldn't be caught dead in a black wedding dress."

Mai walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a small gift bag, she then walked over to Iolite and presented it to her.

"What is this?" Iolite asked her, "I wasn't expecting anything from any of you, and it's not a true wedding you all know."

"Yeah, well, we couldn't throw you a shower on such short notice, so I decided to at least get you some type of gift. I got you something that Kaiba, even with his millions wouldn't think of buying you." She smiled as Iolite started diving through the tissue paper.

The girl nearly passed out when she pulled out the negligee that was in the bag. It was beautiful, white silk, with a butterfly pattern, some lace in some revealing areas and a slit to the hip. The ribbons that laced up the bodice were quite intricate, Iolite swallowed hard.

"There is a matching robe in there too if you feel modest."

"I don't know what to say," Iolite stammered, "I'm just sorry I won't be able to use this."

"What do you mean you won't use it?" Mai asked smiling, "tomorrow is your wedding night. Despite the fact that Kaiba is so crass at times, he certainly seems the type to become, how shall I say this...passionate?"

"Well," Iolite snapped slightly, "I won't be the recipient of his 'passion' I'm not sleeping with the man, only marrying him."

"It seems like a waste to me," Mai smiled as she took the gown from Iolite to hang it up. "Kaiba isn't funny, he isn't romantic, and he isn't sociable, that would lead me to believe that his talents lie..."

She never finished her sentence because Tea chimed in, "I don't think I want to hear anymore Mai, and neither does she." Tea motioned towards a very pale Iolite.

"It is really pretty," Tea tried to smile at the girl who seemed to be terrified, "Maybe you could wear it someday when you find someone you really love."

"Kaiba and I will marry, but in name only. I won't be a 'real' wife to him." It sounded as if she were trying to convince herself, not them. The way Kaiba kissed her set her senses reeling. If he truly wanted her how long could she resist? Her mind would always say no, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to him. She slowly twisted her hair around her finger as she zoned out.

"Are you alright?" Tea asked as she sat beside the girl. Placing a warm hand on her shoulder as a comfort.

"I guess I have pre-wedding jitters. I always thought I would marry for love not to save myself and certainly not at this point in my life." She murmured, realizing her hair was once again sliding through her fingers. She tossed the offensive lock over her shoulder and stood. "I think Mokuba said dinner would be ready soon, lets go eat so I can get my mind off this."

They followed her down to the dining room where the guys were already seated. Everyone was there except Kaiba. She didn't know why she felt disappointment; she would be seeing enough of him from tomorrow forward.

Everyone was so happy, giggling and laughing. They tried to lift her mood with jokes and stories. She nearly fell off the chair when she heard about Mai and Joey's first meeting. She also loved how Mai easily manipulated men. She wished she could do it with such ease and calculation. All she ever seemed to warrant was pawing, and then she'd have to fight them off. Mai had an air of confidence and she envied her terribly. Tea, on the other hand, won Yugi with her sweetness. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body, nor could she use any feminine guise. She looked forward to hanging out with the two of them, it would be nice to have some female friends to talk to, probably complain to.

Mokuba leaned in close to her, "Is the food ok Iolite?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the boy, "What do you mean?"

"You've been pushing the food around the plate for awhile now. You haven't even tasted it yet."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "I guess I'm not into eating tonight."

"It's cook's best meal," Mokuba continued, "Please at least try some."

He seemed so concerned she had to give in. The food was good, but she was so disinterested it didn't matter. She made it a point to take several more bites before pushing the plate away. Mokuba realized she was nervous. He guessed all brides were nervous before they got married, especially under circumstances like this. He wanted to reassure her that his big brother wasn't someone to be afraid of, but he didn't think it would mean much to her tonight. Tomorrow he would talk to her, maybe he could con her into reading some Harry Potter to him. Sure, he could read it himself, but he loved being read to.

After dinner they all retired to the screening room and began watching something stupid on TV. Iolite sat at the back of the room so she could make a get away when everyone was distracted. She did want them there, but she felt she needed some solitude. Tomorrow she would have her hands full and though sleep would never come to her tonight some silence would remedy the dull ache in her skull.

She walked through the mostly dark house and out to the balcony. She quickly took the marble steps down to the pool and found herself bathe in showers of shadows. It was calm and cool here, she felt so much better. She circled to a well-secluded area of the pool and sat down beside it. She casually flipped her shoes off and sank her feet into the inviting water.

She missed her Dad, she missed her friends, and she missed Ryan. She could still remember how he held her before she boarded the plane. If she had known then what was going to happen, she would have insisted he come with her. Marrying Ryan would have been sweet. She had known him forever and there was no man she felt more comfortable with, save her Dad and Raine. What would he think of her once he found out she had married Kaiba? Her heart started to sink. She would have to tell him, explain, before anyone else got to him. Once the wedding was over she could reveal her location and have Ryan come to see her. She smiled and started swirling her feet around in the dark water.

She looked up at the mansion. It was dark, except for the few lights on the paths. The light in Kaiba's office was on, the man was relentless. Did he ever not work? She closed her eyes and pictured him typing away at his computer, his cold cobalt eyes staring menacingly at the screen. She shook the image from her mind. She didn't want to think of Seto Kaiba until she had to. She leaned forward to swirl her fingers in the water when a voice boomed behind her.

"What are you doing out here?" Raine asked threateningly. Before she had a chance to realize it was Raine she turned quickly, lost her balance and fell into the pool with a loud scream. She swallowed a large gulp of water and struggled to remember how to swim. Suddenly she felt large arms around her and, as she was brought to the surface, she took a grateful gulp of fresh air. When Raine had her out of the water she coughed loudly, choking on the remnants of the pool water. She was surprised to find herself surrounded by guards.

"Is everything alright here?" One of them asked her seriously.

"I'm fine I just slipped into the pool," she looked around at the guards surrounding her and Raine, and shuddered. This place was like a fortress.

"If you'll all excuse me I think I'd like to get dried off now." She pushed her way past them and started back to the house. She encountered Kaiba on his way down. He had heard her scream and came down to make sure everything was all right.

"You look like a drown rat," he smirked at her. "What the hell happened, did you decide to take a swim with your clothes on in the dark?"

"Why don't you ask your new 'friend' what happened. Either that or the guards that rushed me." She returned his icy gaze. "I don't appreciate being stalked by your help. See to it that it doesn't happen again."

He stood there measuring her with his eyes. She had spirit, he had to give her that much. "You need guards around you in case one of your brothers find you." He leaned in closer to her lips, grabbing her upper arm to hold her in case she tried to flee, "Don't order me around Highness, you won't like the results. I'm granting you leeway because of your situation, don't make me sorry."

She jerked her arm away and started to walk back up to the mansion. He watched her retreating back. She would learn her place here, as much as she tantalized his senses, he would never cave to a girl. She slammed the door as she walked in, he heard the turn of the lock. He shook his head, she was unbelievable.

Raine approached him carrying Iolite's shoes in one hand. "She left these down by the pool." Kaiba took them from him. Her damn shoes again...he missed her laughter.

"How do you put up with her?" Kaiba asked him with impatience in his voice, "You've been her guard for years how come she's still alive?"

Raine's smirk irritated Kaiba. "She's just like her mother, who led her father on years of merry chases. Edward would have chocked her if he could have lived without her. Once she died he was a broken man, except for Iolite. Her Father taught her that she was as good, if not better than any man. She learned to scheme and fight because of her brothers. She has huge walls around her, no one has come close to breaching them. I think she's afraid you will." With that Raine left Kaiba to himself.

Kaiba watched as the light in her room flicked on. There is another attempting to pull those same walls down, Kaiba thought to himself, _Ryan_. She was marrying him tomorrow, but he knew she wished it weren't him. He looked at the shoes and remembered a giggling girl tripping over them repeatedly. Now that same girl was like a rattlesnake.

He was about to go into the house when he realized the door was locked. He cursed out loud and circled around to the kitchen door.

A/N: I'm almost finished with the wedding day...I'm sorry I didn't respond to each review this time, but in the interest of time...wanted to get this out so I can post the next...I held back. I'll respond to you all next chapter...can you hear the wedding march? LOL PLEASE R&R


	12. The Wedding

A/N: Wow...I actually made it to the Wedding Day! Am I rambling too much with this story? I tend to get caught up in details... Unfortunately I can do any of this to the real Yu-Gi-Oh Characters because I don't own them...PLEASE R&R...thank you all ever too much!

Chapter 12

All too soon it was morning, Iolite felt like it was the gallows waiting for her, not Seto Kaiba. _I must be mad, am I seriously going to go through with this?_ She paced in her room until she was dizzy. She glanced at the black dress looming on the bed. By noon today she would be a wife. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

A knock on the door brought her around. She walked over to it and found Raine on the other side.  
"Good morning Princess," He smiled radiantly at her. She seethed at him. She hadn't forgotten that he and Kaiba were working together against her.

"What do you want?" She asked, thinking of merely slamming the door in his face.

"I wanted to ask you something. Do you think I could come in for a few minutes?"

She glanced over her shoulder at the dress on the bed; she knew he would forbid her to wear it. Heck he'd probably burn it to make sure she didn't. "I'll meet you in the library in 20 minutes." She shut the door, locked it, and then leaned against it. She showered quickly and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. She didn't want to wear the dress until it was time. She hid it in the closet so no one, save for Tea and Mai, would know what she planned.

She arrived in the library a few minutes late. Raine was there, waiting for her.

"What do you want? Did Kaiba and you come up with new methods of torture for me? Have you decided to 'bind and gag' me for the ceremony?" She asked.

He smiled at her, "I know you're nervous Princess. I also know that you realize that I wouldn't have done that to you." She looked at him as if he were insane. "Be that as it may, I would like to ask you something."

"What?"

"I know your Father can't be here, so I was wondering if I could have the honor of giving you away." He asked with sincerity.

"It's not a real wedding," she reminded him.

"I know that's how you feel, but it has to look real. It would be a privilege."

He looked at her, knowing how torn up she was inside. His heart was breaking that she was so upset, but another part of him believed that this could be an amazing match. Hopefully the two would realize how well suited they were for each other, then again they were both stubborn to a fault.

"All right Raine," she conceded. "In order to make it seem authentic I will." Part of her was glad, when she passed out from the stress of it all he could then carry her as a sacrifice to Kaiba. "I have to start getting ready, I'll see you a little before two at the bottom of the stairs."

He smiled at her back as she left him. He wondered if it was marriage she was scared of, or if the thought of a wedding night with Kaiba.

She slowly climbed the stairs with a cup of coffee that she had grabbed from the empty kitchen. She wondered where everyone was. She shrugged as she went on her way to prepare for the upcoming nuptials.

Kaiba heard the knock at his office door. He was in the middle of researching something, so he ignored it. When it happened again he admonished the fact that nothing would get done today.

"Come in," he growled at the offending door.

When Yugi entered Kaiba smirked. "What do you want Yugi, I'm busy."

"I want to talk to you about this wedding." Yugi said with uncertainty, "Why are you marrying her? There must be another way to save her." He was sure Kaiba wouldn't hurt the girl, but sometimes Kaiba had to be warned against his own stupidity.

"There is no other way Yugi. Don't you think I've exhausted all the options?" Kaiba was glaring fiercely at the boy standing before him. Who the hell was Yugi to question him? "You're lucky I'm allowing your presence in my home, you'd be smart to hold your tongue on my personal matters."

"She's special Kaiba," Yugi snapped, "don't hurt her feelings, she's been through enough already."

"Her feelings aren't your concern." Kaiba whispered menacingly.

Yugi was beginning to see a similarity between the way Kaiba reacted to Iolite and the way he reacted to dueling. He smiled, she had gotten under his skin.

"I want to wish you luck Kaiba." Yugi offered.

"Luck has nothing to do with this, it's a done deal and soon life will move on. I do wish everyone would stop dwelling on it." He shook his head, "Is there anything else you wish to annoy me with? Or can I get back to my work? It might be my wedding day, but I have far more important issues to deal with."

"Nope, nothing else," Yugi turned and walked from the room.

No one seemed to understand that this was an ordinary day to Kaiba, it was a contract, and he had entered into many contracts in his life. However, this one brought no money, just a title, and a girl who set him on fire. He gazed out his window, he wondered if she looked at him as a savior, a fiend or a man.

Ioloite pulled the dress over her head and smiled. It was so wicked what she was doing. Mai walked behind her and tried to pull up the zipper.

"It's a bit tight, don't you think?" Mai asked as she struggled with the zipper.

Iolite suddenly realized that her curves had filled her out a bit since the last time she had worn the dress. "You have to get me in this," she begged Tea and Mai, "This wedding wouldn't be half as much fun if I have to wear something else!"

Tea pulled the two sides together and Mai tugged the zipper up. Iolite's breath caught. She knew, now, that she had lost her mind. She still intended to wear the thing.

"Well, if Kaiba can get past your cleavage you may still be able to piss him off." Mai snickered.

Iolite regarded herself in the mirror. The dress was acting like a corset. She smiled, she could anger him and tease him at the same time. It was a delicious game she was playing with him. Raine would be furious, Kaiba would be livid...she prayed she could control her giggles.

"Just don't breathe too much," Tea suggested, "You may pop the stitches.

"I wonder if Kaiba will even notice it's black," Mai sniggered.

"Oh," Iolite began, "he'll notice. He ordered me to dress in white, I'm defying a Kaiba order. I'm not asking 'how high,' and he'll be aware of it."

There was a knock at the door, Mai rushed over to see who it was, without revealing the bride-to-be.

"Everything is waiting," Joey chimed, "Kaiba's a bit annoyed, which is nothing unusal, but other than that we're waiting on you girls now."

"We'll be down in a minute Joey," Mai said before she kissed him quickly.

She slowly shut the door.

"It's that time," Tea smiled at Iolite, "are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Iolite said as she picked up the bouquet that had been sent up to her room, by Kaiba most likely.

The girls descended the stairs first. Iolite tried to remember how to breathe. Between her nerves and the tight dress it wasn't an easy task. Slowly, regally she descended the stairs. Raine was waiting at the bottom. His face told her that he was up in arms. She smiled so pleasantly at him, suppressing a giggle that threatened to escape her lips.

"At least you wore your hair down," he grumbled when she took his arm. "I can't believe your gall Princess."

"I get my nerve from my Mother, Daddy always told me."

"God help us all." Raine led her into the living room.

Silence followed her progress to Kaiba. All eyes were on her, especially his. He watched her approach; his body was at ease, though she could clearly sense his anger.

Motionless, he stood before the Judge waiting for her to join him. His cobalt eyes followed her progress with the intense stare of a falcon, or a God. He dressed like night, but instead of being cold he exuded fire. She shivered as Raine handed her over to him. She took Kaiba's arm, the small contact felt like electric coursing through her. He closed his other hand over hers, as if to hold her there. Her breath came in and stayed.

His hand over hers, the gentle contact, consumed her thoughts so much she could barely follow what the judge was saying. It felt like a dream, nothing seemed real. The only tangible piece of evidence she had that this was indeed happening was her arm intertwined with his and his hand over hers. He felt warm and almost reassuring.

The judge looked at her sharply, "I ask again...Do you take this man to be your husband?"

She swallowed hard and tried to pass the words through a throat that was constricting. She looked up at Kaiba. He was watching her as though his will alone could force the agreement from her lips. He knew nothing could, there was panic in her eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, "I take him as my husband."

Kaiba's agreement was more readily given. She could hear the singsong way the judge was talking, but couldn't make out his words. She had just given up her freedom to a man she hardly knew and couldn't quite trust.

"Finish it," Kaiba interjected.

The floor seemed to move under her feet, she gave more of her weight to Kaiba in an attempt to steady herself. Her world was turning dark around the edges, she begged her mind not to let her pass out. She was aware that Kaiba was turning her to face him. He gently tilted her chin up with his finger. His lips on hers were soft and gentle. It almost felt like he was tasting her. The kiss lingered too long for it to be labeled chaste. It was too short for it to quench either one of their thirsts. He smirked at her still closed eyes. He ran his tongue over his own lips...peaches again.

Her eyes slowly opened. Suddenly, the room spun, she realized it was over. The judge shook Kaiba's hand and held it out to her.

She took the man's hand, "Congratulations," he said smiling. "I must admit it's this first wedding I've done that the groom and bride wore black."

Kaiba wanted no suspicion cast on their marriage, "I thought it was appropriate that we matched. I'm not very conventional as you know." The judge nodded his head, he certainly knew that. He made his apologies that he couldn't stay to toast the happy couple, but there were other pressing matters on his schedule.

"I guess it's time to eat then," Joey shouted. Mai elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Is that all you think about?" She asked seriously.

He eyed her mouth hungrily, "No, but the other thing I'm thinking aren't appropriate for public knowledge."

He actually made her blush. Everyone walked over and congratulated the couple. Kaiba kept a steadying arm around her. She could hardly keep her hands from shaking; her brave face was failing. They all started leaving the living room and entering the dining room, save for her and Kaiba. After getting hugs from Mokuba, Kaiba motioned for the boy to follow the crowd, leaving them behind.

Kiaba turned to his reluctant new bride. His eyes weren't as cold as they usually were._ He must realize I'm on the verge of snapping. That's the only reason he isn't yelling at me. _

"I think it's time you changed out of that dress Highness." He took her by the wrist and began leading her up the stairs. She supressed the urge to fight him, it would only postpone the inevitable and she really did need to take a deep breath. Once in her room he closed the door and faced her.

She looked at him with clouded eyes.

"I don't think you're getting enough oxygen to your brain to reason."

He knew damn well she wore the gown to infuriate him, the color had, but the way she looked in it set him on fire. She was magnificent and now she was his.

He circled around her back and unzipped her. She took in a deep ragged breath. It was all over she realized. His fingers trailed up and down the soft skin of her back. She shivered. Her eyes closed. "You're delicious to look at Highness."

He started slipping the gown from her shoulders. He began kissing the skin that he was slowly exposing.

Suddenly, she understood his intentions. She quickly turned on him and raised her hand to slap him. This time, however, he caught her wrist. "You'd do well not to slap me again."

"You'd do well not to touch me!" She yelled at him.

He smirked, "glad to see you're coming to your senses." The dress slipped off her shoulder. She caught it before it exposed too much of her. His eyes devoured every inch of her, she could almost feel his gaze.

"Get out so I can get dressed," she snapped turning away from him. _Get out before something happens that we can't take back. It's only to save me, not for any other reason. Please don't push, I don't know how long I can hold back..._

"Try to wear something other than black Highness, you made your point." He said bitterly. His eyes closed without her noticing. He bit off more than he could chew and now he realized it. He didn't need any complications in his life, least of all a girl, especially one who tempted him constantly. _Hell, she doesn't even know what a seductress she is, if she ever found out I'd be ruined..._

He left and her head spun. She sat down on the bed and rubbed her arms. She could still feel the trail of his hot kisses along her neck and shoulder. Yet, he stopped when she asked him to. There was no need for her to kick, scream or claw at him. The only other man who respected her boundaries was Ryan... Her head snapped up..._Oh Ryan what have I done?!_

**A/N:** **I decided to put this down here after the story from now on...**

SSP: Intriguing thought...I do have major plans for Ryan. Never thought of making him a liar. I have to see if that fits. You do have my wheels spinning-thanks

SetoLover: I wish I could help you on your quest to marry Seto, I think I'll hop on line after you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and that I'm doing better with a certain little brother. There will be more to come on him in coming chapters, he's so sweet! I would love to play this type of 'table tennis' with Kaiba, though I think I would have given in already...lol

Dragon Master's Mistress: My Harry Potter books are showing tons of wear too! I'm re-reading _Goblet_ at this point. I'll be throwing some of that in here at some point. I could see Mokuba reading it for some reason?!

Ayala: I'm sooo thrilled you're addicted to reading, because I've become addicted to writing this.

WhitejellO: Love the clam theory! I was hoping the tension was building. I take it that I'm successful? They are beginning to faulter...I know I would around Kaiba. Did I disappoint you by making her say yes? I hope not. I had to go with it, though I did toy around with having her refuse him at the alter because of you...


	13. The Wedding Night

A/N: Could I get some reviews on how I'm doing please? Good or bad (in a constructive way). I didn't hear much from the wedding and my hopes are that I'm not messing this up too much. Please if you read this review it...thank you ever so much I appreciate it.

Chapter 13

Iolite soon joined the party in the dining room. She had changed into a white strapless sundress, it seemed more appropriate than the jeans and t-shirt she had been tempted to throw on. She had goaded Kaiba enough for one day and Raine didn't seem any more pleased with her antics. She looked around the room and noticed the only unoccupied seat was next to her new husband. It was fitting for a bride to sit next to her groom, but she was still reluctant.

The servants were placing dinner plates before each guest. She rolled her eyes when she saw the lobster in front of her. She cringed, she hated fish of any type. A waiter rushed up to her chair and pulled it out for her, she sat down and thanked him as he pushed her in.

Kaiba leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, "You look much better in this dress, it's more fitting for a _happy_ bride. However, I did appreciated your 'assets' in the other one better."

She blushed, despite her best effort not to. He was insufferable. She sat in silence beside him and watched everyone in the room. It seemed as if everyone was enjoying him or herself. She regretted that soon she would be alone here. She couldn't very well ask her new friends to move into the Kaiba mansion forever. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, she would be alone with Kaiba soon.

"Why aren't you eating," he whispered in her ear again. He didn't need to whisper, but he used it as an excuse to get close to her. "I won't have you starving yourself to make a point that you're unhappy with me," his voice sounded threatening.

She turned to face him. "I'm not starving myself," she replied coolly, "I won't eat seafood, especially one that resembles a dead insect."

He snickered, "You're a cheap date Highness." He called over a server and whispered something to him. The man promptly took her plate and disappeared into the kitchen. She sat there very aware of the eyes on her. She had pulled her hair into a tight French braid, then pinned that under in an attempt to keep her hair from her fingers. The only hair she could play with were her bangs...how stupid would that look?

She sat stiff backed, Kaiba noticed how uptight she was and smiled at her. She was on edge. Suddenly a plate was placed in front of her, she nearly jumped out of her skin, and on it was a filet mignon. "Mokuba hates fish too, so I had this prepared as well." He was watching her, so she started eating it. It was delicious, but she had no appetite.

After they all had cake on the balcony everyone started to leave. She wanted to climb into one of Mai's suitcases and go home with her. At least she'd be safe from _him._

When the last guest left she walked into the living room and found Mokuba curled up on the couch with a video game. Kaiba was nowhere to be found. She smiled it was time for the stupid dress to come off. She climbed the steps to her room, stifling a yawn as she went. She absently wondered where she had kicked her shoes off.

As she neared her room a maid popped out of it carrying some of her clothes. "Where are you going with those?" She asked the girl.

"Oh," the girl smiled at her, "I'm setting them up in your new room your Majesty."

"My name is Iolite, please call me that." She smiled at the girl. She guessed that her room was being changed because she was no longer a guest and was now a semi-permanent household member. She fell in step behind the girl.

They rounded one corner, went down a hall, down another hall, turned again...she was beginning to wonder if Kaiba was having her locked in a tower somewhere. Finally, they came upon a set of double doors; she rushed to get the door for the struggling girl.

When the door opened she nearly gasped. The room was bathed in shades of dark blue...walls, carpeting even ceiling. There were long heavy deep purple drapes that lined the back wall and the very exquisite bedding was in the same shade of purple. The furniture was a rich dark wood and had intricate carvings. A black marble fireplace was on the wall opposite the bed. Two chairs faced the roaring fire, both looked elegant, in a gothic sort of way. She noted the desk in front of the drapes as she entered the room, on it sat a black phone, a black lamp, and a black laptop...it dawned on her then...this was Kaiba's room! She nearly panicked. This had to be a mistake. She entered the door off the room that the maid had gone in. It turned out to be a small foyer. Off to one side was the bathroom, the other side was a huge closet. Her breath caught when she noticed the huge bathroom. There were black marble floors, black granite countertops and silver fixtures. The room was huge. In one corner was a shower that could fit five with about 20 shower jets, in another corner sat a huge black Jacuzzi tub, a plasma television sat opposite the tub, which was big enough for 3, and a couch sat in the center of the room. She turned from the bathroom and went into the huge closet. There she found the maid hanging up her things in the closet that could hold four cars.

"These drawers are yours," she pointed out. "I didn't know how you liked things arranged, you can rearrange them if you like. I hung your clothes here, and your shoes are on the rack next to Mr. Kaiba's."

"It's fine, thank you," she whispered hoarsely. It was _really_ sinking in now.

"Are you finished?" She heard Kaiba ask the busy maid.

"Yes Sir," the girl answered him weakly.

_Great, of course he would check and see that I was properly relocated into his room. _

The maid standing beside her excused herself and left. Iolite closed her eyes and tried to stay the panic that was rising inside of her. She never wanted him to see her unnerved.

"Is this a suitable amount of space for you? Or do you need more?" Kaiba asked from the doorway of the closet. He was leaning against the frame, arms folded across his chest, smirk firmly in place.

"Why did you move me into your room?" She asked, disregarding his question.

"You're my wife, it seems fitting that we share the same room. We wouldn't want tongues wagging that, despite being married, we slept separately. What kind of marriage would that be Highness?" He asked with a voice coated in sarcasm.

"It's a marriage of convenience, not love Kaiba. I want my own room." She turned to face him.

"Highness, this isn't a matter we'll discuss. I doubt, seriously, any of my staff would wag their tongues, but if they did mention we slept separately our 'marriage' would be uncovered as a fraud. How would your brothers feel about that? They could have this annulled and you brought home."

She knew he was right, but sharing intimate space with him was a major disadvantage._ Now what do I do? Sharing his room will be torture. I'll have no privacy. Then again, neither will he. _She bit her lip. _Day and night will be spent in his presence now, in this tomb. What the hell is up with this stupid room anyway??? Who is he Dracula?_

He approached her, and tilted her chin up with his finger. "Is it so bad to have a room mate?" He brushed his lips against hers. She unconsciously licked her lips once his left hers. He tasted sweet, she looked at him questioningly. He growled low in his throat, she honestly had no idea how she stirred him. He brushed her lips again, this time lingering.

She didn't protest, or pull away. He pulled back to look at her face, her eyes were serenely closed, her lips slightly parted and moist from his own mouth. He took her top lip between his and caressed it with his tongue. She whimpered against his mouth. His hands settled on her waist, he pulled her closer. He took her bottom lip into his mouth and repeated the sweet torture. Her hands slid up his arms to his shoulders. Tentatively, she deepened the kiss. He was so shocked at her action his eyes snapped open, but then closed as he granted her access. It was getting harder to breathe. She stroked her fingers into his hair. He pulled her closer, until only her toes were in contact with the floor. He could feel the surrender, could taste her excitement and he wanted more. His hand slid up her back to the nape of her neck. She sighed against his mouth, their tongues battling for dominance. He broke the kiss to gain access to her neck.

"You're intoxicating me Seto," she moaned, "you taste like heaven."

His mouth and teeth claimed her neck, he wanted her more than air. "I want you, Iolite."

"Knock, knock," someone called from inside the room. She went frigid in his arms. He growled like an enraged animal. He pulled away to look at her face, her lips were kiss swollen and her cheeks were blushing brightly. He noted that her hands were still dug into his hair. She was barely aware that she was still caressing him.

"I brought some towels..." the maid's voice trailed off as she came upon the two. She blushed deeply, "I'm so sorry Mr. Kaiba and Iolite."

Kaiba released his wife, when her feet made full contact with the floor she realized what had just happened. _How come I can't seem to keep thoughts in my head when he kisses me? How come he tastes so good? His hair is amazing...What the hell am I thinking?_

"Who do you think you are calling her by her first name?!" An angry Kaiba snapped at the already embarrassed girl. "I fire people for less than that!"

"I told her to call me that Kaiba. Don't yell at her, yell at me."

He looked at his wife, not sure what to do. He was more upset that the kiss had ended in frustration than he was at the blanching maid.

"I'll just leave these in the bathroom," the maid offered and left them.

Iolite pushed passed Kaiba and entered the bedroom. "Do you have a candelabra?" She asked him seriously.

"No, why?" He seemed amused.

"Because this room would be the perfect place for one. It looks like a crypt...do I get the bed and you have a coffin hidden in here somewhere?" She leered at him.

"This room is my taste Highness," he informed her seriously.

"Then Kaiba I have something to tell you," she shook her head.

"What?" He asked, getting agitated with her musings.

"You have no taste..." she giggled and went over to the heavy drapes. "Is there any way we can open these? Or will sunlight melt you?"

"I'm not a vampire," he growled. She was baiting him yet again. She would never learn.

"Good, then we can open these." She tugged at the drapes and pulled them aside. There were French doors leading out to a balcony, which overlooked the pool and gardens. The view was spectacular. "I want these to stay open, this room needs help, lots of help, and sunlight is a start."

"The sun set hours ago Highness, it's nighttime." He explained to her as if she were a child. He started to approach her, but she dodged him and went over to the fireplace.

"Then the moonlight is better than those drapes...who uses drapes?"

"I do," he replied coolly. He would not chase her, he wasn't a dog after a rabbit.

She skirted him and walked over to the bed; with a tug she pulled the comforter off the bed onto the floor. She then climbed onto the bed and tossed two pillows over the side. He watched her with eagle eyes, arms folded across his chest and a smile playing on his lips.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Setting up my bed. You honestly didn't think I was going to fall into your bed...did you?" She set up the comforter like a sleeping bag, putting the two pillows at one end. She began undoing her braid, and walked into the closet. She noticed the nightgown Mai had given her. She smiled at the thought of teasing the hell out of him, but knew that would be dangerous for her virginity. She locked the door, pulled on a long t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants..._you sex kitten you_.

She emerged from the closet, noting how Kaiba hadn't moved she plopped down on her makeshift bed and hugged her pillow. "Goodnight husband." She smiled and closed her eyes.

A/N: whitejellO: Hey! Thank you for the awesome review! I'm glad you weren't disappointed. You are influencing me. I've already rewritten a chapter or two because of your comments. I'm sure you'll figure it all out as I keep posting. I'm glad you find some things clever and I hope to continue that trend. As for rivalry and future problems...there isn't going to be a 'happily ever after' anytime soon. I like suspense better. My characters, I think, are too strong to give in to each other yet. Thank you again for reviewing...you're so loyal I love it!

SetoLover: I think if it would have been me I would have agreed before the judge asked the question... _"I DO!"...Judge: "I haven't asked the question yet..."_

I'm glad you're into reading this, I'm so having fun writing it. My classes aren't getting that much attention, but I'm having fun...lol I think you'll like the next chapter a whole lot, I totally incorporated Mokuba. I need that boy to show Kaiba's softer side (isn't that a Sears ad?!?!) The next 2 chapters are fluffy, but I needed to have some fun. Drama is great, but some laughs are good too. I should be posting the next soonly!


	14. Payment

A/N: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters from it. If you decide to sue me you can pick through what Hurricane Jeanne leaves. (Why my parents wanted to leave NY and move to Florida I still have no clue. Blizzards are bad, but hurricanes are impossible!!! I live in the "Kick Me" sign state and I HATE it...anyway, the rant is over, sorry.) I do own my own characters.

Chapter 14

The next morning Kaiba woke and found that he was alone in the dark room. The comforter had been tossed back on the bed, the pillows were beside him. He wondered where she was at 5am. He got out of the bed, quickly dressed, and set out to find his new bride.

He checked her old room, the living room and finally found himself in the kitchen. Raine was reading the morning paper and drinking coffee.

"Where the hell is she," Kaiba asked angrily.

"Probably lurking in the gardens somewhere." Raine lowered the paper to look at the boy's face. He knew the frustration that was Iolite. "She hardly ever sleeps. Sometimes she dozes just a few hours a night, usually more towards morning. She doesn't like dark places unless she's outside. Don't ask me why. I have no idea."

"What is she some type of ghost? I didn't even hear her leave."

"You never will, unless she wants you to. She moves like a shadow, I gave up tracking her years ago." Raine watched annoyance wash over Kaiba's features.

"So then why are you awake?" Kaiba asked, getting noticeably tense.

"Well, if she gets lost somewhere she usually calls to have me come get her, one time she took off at midnight and hours later she called, almost 50 miles from home. She was lost in NYC she was exhausted and couldn't make it back."

The blood drained from Kaiba's face, "Fifty miles away?"

"Oh, that's a rare occurrence. She hasn't done that in awhile."

Kaiba stormed out of the kitchen and started searching the grounds. There was no sign of her anywhere. He checked the library, 2 other great rooms, the screening room, and several guest rooms. He was exhausted, and there was still no sign of her. Unfortunately he couldn't alert security to search for her, what kind of husband loses his wife on the morning after their wedding night?

Eventually he found himself back in his bedroom, he was trying to think up a security device for his room. It would have to go off as soon as she opened the door. It was absurd to try to keep her prisoner, but she obviously couldn't be trusted to take care of herself.

His breath caught when he opened the door. There she was, snuggled in the center of his bed, sound asleep. The urge to shake her awake was replaced with a need to wake her up to make sure she was all right. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she gently turned onto her back, the blanket slid to her waist. She had changed into a spaghetti strap t-shirt. The curves of her body were clearly visible and he was momentarily startled. He knew if he woke her she would find an excuse to leave him, find something else to do in a distant part of the house. He pulled up a chair and watched her sleep, while he read a book.

Her dreams were haunted. She kept seeing Kaiba. He would chase her, catch her and kiss her senselessly. She would return his affections and soon they were rolling in the garden together. When she would pull away he would smile and pull her back, covering her body with his. Then it would grow dark and his face would change...it was Ryan, but she was refusing him, where was Kaiba? Hands would start grabbing her and suddenly Robert Mortimer was putting a wedding band on her finger.

Kaiba was so entranced with the woman on his bed that he didn't notice Mokuba creep into the room. Suddenly the small boy launched himself onto the bed to wake the sleeping Princess. She let out a small cry, being startled from a nightmare was never easy. She vaguely became aware of where she was.

"Mokuba! What are you doing?" Kaiba jumped on the bed and wrestled his brother away from his wife.

"I'm waking her up! She promised she would spend the day with me. Why are you still home? You're usually gone by now." Mokuba smiled suspiciously at his big brother.

"I didn't think it would be appropriate to return to work the day after my wedding."

"Are you going to spend the day with us too?" Mokuba's eyes widened in excitement. Nothing was better than having his big brother around.

Kaiba grunted. Iolite took the two in. She smiled lazily, and then patted Mokuba's back. "Why don't you shower and get dressed and we'll start making plans for the three of us today." She noticed Kaiba's sharp glare and chose to ignore it.

Mokuba bounded off the bed and ran for the door.

"Have cook bring up some breakfast for the Princess Mokuba...please." Kaiba called after him.

"No problem Big Brother!"

She was so busy smiling after Mokuba's retreat that she didn't notice Kaiba moving to sit beside her on the bed. He was merely inches from her.

"Where did you go last night?" He growled into her ear.

She didn't know if it was because he was so close to her, or because his warm breath was on her neck, she shivered.

"I don't sleep well. I didn't want to keep you up with my tossing so I went for a walk."

"Did you leave the grounds?" His mouth brushed her ear and her eyes reflexively closed.

"No."

His fingers slid up her arm, hooking the strap of her t-shirt. He slid it down as his lips burned a trail of kisses over her exposed skin.

The door suddenly burst open, "Breakfast is served!" Yelled Mokuba. Raine was following him with a breakfast tray.

"Raine was already coming up with her breakfast, he figured she would be in here. Cook makes the best waffles, the strawberries are excellent. I helped cut them for you. Cook wouldn't let me have any of the fresh whipped cream, she said I'm already too hyper."

Mokuba didn't see the blush rising on Iolite's cheeks, but Raine did. He smiled. The newlyweds were 'adjusting' to their status. Raine also caught the hard look Kaiba gave him. He told Kaiba she usually dozed in the morning and, as usual when it came to the girl, Raine was right.

"So, what are your plans today Princess?" Raine asked as he placed the tray across her lap.

"It's Mokuba's day to plan, I'm just going along for the ride."

"Should I have your 'wedding gown' cleaned and pressed?" He asked sarcastically, seeing the garment tossed across a chair.

"It really doesn't matter, I won't be wearing that again."

"Too bad," she heard Kaiba mutter softly.

"Didn't you say you had to shower and get dressed Mokuba?" Raine asked, wanting this new royal couple to have some privacy.

"Fine, but when I come back I want our day of fun to begin." He looked at Iolite with puppy dog eyes.

"It's your day Mokuba, I'm at your service."

When the door shut she turned her attention to the food tray across her lap. She flipped the television on and began dipping a strawberry into the whip cream. Kaiba's breath caught as he watched her lick the fruit clean before she plopped it in her mouth. The way she was eating was an erotic game in his eyes. She didn't use the utensils, instead she relied on her fingers to tear the waffle, dip it in the cream and nibble it. He watched, fascinated, his blue eyes smoldering with lust. The worst part was how innocently she was doing it. She had no idea how she was affecting him, her purity was obvious and his need was evident. It took a maddeningly long time for her to eat. Her meal was over when the glob of cream she picked up, using her fingers only, fell down the front of her t-shirt. It took every ounce of self-control for him not to offer assistance in cleaning it up. Quickly she grabbed a napkin and wiped the goop out from her cleavage. "I guess I'm done now." She said to no one.

She moved the tray aside, tossed the covers away and stood. She stretched like a cat and turned to Kaiba, she could feel his eyes on her. _I've never seen that look before. I can' t tell if he's angry with me or not. _

"Do you remember the night in the library?" She asked him in order to snap him out of his stare.

"Yes."

"You promised to let me use a computer terminal, which you did. You also promised to spend a day with Mokuba...no interruptions. Can I cash that in today?"

He arched an eyebrow, he had intended to stay at home and work, but staying at home and doing no work was a bother.

"Please Kaiba," she shifted her weight, and casually pulled her right strap back up her shoulder. It seemed that since he pulled it down it didn't want to stay in place.

"If I agree to this I want something from you."

"I already paid the due for this...remember...I spilled my secrets to you."

"I'll up the ante," he smiled smugly, his eyes burning as they devoured her figure. "I'll agree to any activity the two of you set your minds to, without argument or indifference if you agree to sleep with me in my bed tonight."

Her cheeks flamed red. "I'm not giving up my virtue so you'll be agreeable!" She wanted to slap him again. Hard.

"You can keep your clothes on. I'll do the same. I won't even touch you, I just want you near."

She was scared out of her mind. _In bed with him, how long would my clothes last? It took every ounce of strength to leave the room last night, how could I manage to lie beside him?_

"You won't touch me?"

"Not even a strand of your hair would be violated."

"I'll have your word, and if you go back on it, know this- I'll never trust you again."

She left him and went into the bathroom. She would shower, change and enjoy the day. She would try with all her might to ignore the approaching night. Even at 8am it felt like midnight was minutes away.

She pulled on a pair of shorts and an off-the-shoulder top in a deep blue. When she finally emerged the maid was making the bed up. "Good morning." Iolite smiled at the girl. She was, in turn greeted, before she left the room and bounded down the stairs. Mokuba and Kaiba were waiting for her in the living room.

"So," she turned her attention to Mokuba, "What shall we do first?"

"I want you and my big brother to duel."

Kaiba and Iolite locked eyes.

"I don't like dueling girls," Kaiba informed his little brother.

Iolite smiled, "are you arguing or showing indifference?!"

He was trapped and he knew it, "Very well then."

They all went outside, Kaiba helped Iolite strap a duel disk to her arm. She resisted the urge to touch him as his fingers and hands lingered on her. He was so close she could feel the heat rising off of him. She struggled to remain focused.

"Let's duel," she whispered.

They each started with minor monsters and trap cards. Kaiba tried to overpower her immediately, but she kept countering with magic cards. His monsters were higher, but her magic and traps were amazing. She finally called forth her only dragon, a dragon Kaiba had never seen before. It only had 2800 attack points, Blue Eyes was still stronger, but with a magic card it was intense. They battled back and forth, until Iolite noticed Mokuba sitting there watching. He was very into the duel, but he wasn't involved. She knew what she had to do. Slowly, on her turn, she placed her hand on her deck.

"What are you doing?" Raine asked, shocked that she was conceding a duel she was so closely matched in.

"Today is Mokuba's day, not a day for Kaiba and I to take over with a duel."

Kaiba wanted the duel to continue, he wanted to defeat her badly, but he also wanted to see more of her cards and strategies. She had him intrigued on so many fronts now, he couldn't quite keep up.

Kaiba approached her, "I want to continue dueling, are you afraid of me?"

Her eyes burned into his, "I'm not afraid of you, I'm just aware that Mokuba is on the sidelines being ignored. I wanted this to be his day." She looked at a shocked Mokuba, then back at Kaiba. "This isn't a day for you to test your testosterone levels on me." She whispered so only he could hear it.

"What's up next Mokuba?" She called over to him.

"I want to go swimming!"

"All right let's all get our suits on!" She yelled back to him.

"I hate swimming," Kaiba grumbled.

"Would that be your first argument Kaiba?" She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to object so she could be spared his payment.

Within minutes they were all changed and in the pool. Mokuba and Iolite swam races and had splashing contests. Kaiba stood on the side for some of the time, but both Mokuba and Iolite insisted on dunking him and splashing him mercilessly. Mokuba was showing them both his skills at canon balling when Iolite swam behind Kaiba; his thoughts were a million miles away. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and wrapped her legs around his waist. "No indifference Kaiba?" She whispered the warning into his ear.

"With you clinging to me like this how could I be indifferent?" His hands slid along her outer thighs as she rode on his back for a few short minutes. It wasn't long before she forced his head under.

Raine watched the two. He could see what they were blind too. Kaiba actually smiled once or twice already. He has never seen him smile in a way that wasn't malicious. Her light was penetrating his darkness. As for Iolite, she actually touched him without encouragement. In all the years he had spent with her she never volunteered a touch, not even Ryan received a touch without initiating it. She hid her fear of men well, but Kaiba was, somehow, breaking through her trepidation.

Mokuba noticed how his brother was acting, and he loved it. There was no yelling, no firing of anybody and no business. Kaiba was, for now, the boy Mokuba remembered before the world had tainted him.

After drying off and changing they decided to go to dinner at a restaurant Mokuba suggested. Kaiba nearly had a heart attack when he saw all the unruly children running around and screaming in the place.

"I don't think it's in our best interest to eat in a place that has a giant rat as an advertisement." Kaiba stated dryly. Why would anyone invent a place that combined eating, loud games and obnoxious mechanical creatures? He had a headache before they even got their pizza.

Iolite quickly sat down next to Mokuba and watched as Kaiba attempted to eat a piece of the cardboard fare. She hid her smile with her hand as he wrinkled his nose. "Suddenly I don't feel so hungry." He stammered as he swallowed.

"I want to go play games Big Brother!" Mokuba whined.

"You don't expect me to fight through that crowd of ankle bitters..." he stopped as he noticed Iolite's eyes widen. "Fine."

She rose with the two and watched as Mokuba and Kaiba played game after game. She snickered as Mokuba beat his big brother at several childish games. She nearly rolled over in laughter as the three of them played '_Whack-a-Monster.' _She finally gave up on her game and started helping Mokuba try to beat Kaiba. Funny, Kaiba was actually good at pounding the plastic critters. Iolite and Mokuba were unbeatable once they combined their skills and Kaiba was left in the dust.

"If the two of you two-time me how am I suppose to win?" Was that a pout? He looked so defeated she felt the flutters again. Mokuba raced off to ride on the kiddy bumper cars, and there they were...all alone.

She approached him, "You're being such an amazing sport Kaiba. I didn't think you'd be able to hold up your end of our bargain."

"I'm trying Highness. This place is testing my patience. You would think people would control their..."

"Ankle-bitters?" She helped.

He rewarded her with a breathtaking smile. He was becoming harder to resist. He took a step closer, she didn't retreat. "What's next Highness? How else can I show my acquiescence?" His voice betrayed his words, he was teasing her, not chiding.

She took a step closer, she motioned for him to give her his ear, and softly she whispered into it, "I think Mokuba said something about the three of us taking a ballet class."

He tossed his head back and let out his laughter. He wound his arm around her waist as he led her to a quieter room.

No one noticed the man lying in wait. He stood off in the shadows, not wanting to be recognized by Iolite or Raine. His bright green eyes burned with jealousy and rage at the blue-eyed 'new royal'. He ran a shaking hand through his golden locks. He noted how many girls were swooning in the background after Kaiba. He knew his own looks drew some attention. He was furious, she was HIS match...not the arrogant CEO's. His jaw was set, he didn't think he could take him on physically, but mentally he could get to him. He stood away from the entourage and watched as she leaned closer to Kaiba. His breath caught when he watched her whisper something into the boy's ear... She didn't flinch when he touched her, it seemed like she wanted his attention.

_How dare he touch what isn't his... and as for her_ _if she touches him again I'm going to snap. I heard the rumors, but I couldn't believe that she would marry a stranger over me. I've waited forever for her to be 'ready', and now here she is eager for him...not me. Has she forgotten how we were together? How she promised me her devotion? We were amazing together, even her Father wanted us married. I'm in love with her, he just sees her as a means to a throne. He'll hurt her, she doesn't need anymore torment from an unscrupulous jerk like him. He doesn't have our history. Her heart will stay mine, she just needs to be reminded..._

A/N: I think I will post the next chapter tomorrow; I already have it written (I was on a roll). That is, if we have electric here. Please forgive me for not going into details about the duel. I just wanted to set something up for an idea for a later chapter. Kaiba will return to normal soon (not soonly...it was a stab at humorous grammar...sorry whitejellO)

WhitejellO: I thought his personality called for a dark room. The purple was an eggplant purple boardering on Navy (I've seen the color and it's kinda cool). You have inspired me for a future chapter with your comment btw...so glad you keep reading and reviewing I like your insight!

Frosty Vermilion Petals: I'm glad you think the plot is good. After this and the next chapter (fluffy ones) I'm going to get into the turmoil, so to speak. Thanks for the comment on the name...I really fell in love with the stone and I think it makes a great name too. When are you updating?!

Dragon Master's Mistress: I know how school is. My classes will probably be cancelled for the upcoming week...more stuff to make up-oh goody (not).I'm glad you still like the story!

Please read and review...Thanks!


	15. Ante up

A/N: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...nuff said...

Chapter 15

"No pizza for dinner Kiddo. You had that garbage for lunch and tonight you will have something nutritious." Kaiba gently took the phone from the boy's hands; he was about to call for a delivery. Kaiba looked at Iolite, wondering if she thought this was mutiny.

"Your big brother is right Mokuba, but I think that he'll compromise and let us make ice cream sundaes for dessert. That is, if you eat your dinner."

Mokuba regarded the two with his puppy dog eyes, but realized it was a futile effort.

"Fine, but I get to make everyone's sundae!"

Kaiba rolled his eyes knowing the concoctions that his little brother would design would be inedible except to a child.

Iolite snickered as she entered the dining room. She took a seat and waited to be joined by the brothers who were still arguing in the kitchen. _Despite your best efforts to be a cold-hearted arrogant know-it-all, today I saw it Kaiba. It was just for a few brief moments here and there, but I saw it. Mokuba brings it out in you. I wish I knew the way to heal you..._

"You're spoiling him Highness," Kaiba growled as he plopped into the seat beside her. "He's putting a mixture of peanut butter and fluff into the microwave to put on these ice cream nightmares he's creating."

She looked into Kaiba's face and smiled. "He's wonderful."

Kaiba looked surprised for a moment, but then simply smiled at the thought of his brother. Mokuba came bounding in. Iolite shook her head softly and giggled. Cook followed him with dinner. Seeing as he couldn't have pizza, Mokuba decided on spaghetti and meatballs. Kaiba noticed that his wife had finally regained an appetite.

After dinner Mokuba ran into the kitchen to make the 'surprise sundaes'.

"We could run and hide," Kaiba offered with a grimace.

"That's not even funny Kaiba, I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad."

"You've never been a guinea pig for one of his creations. Take it from someone who knows."

She didn't realize how close he was to her until his lips were on hers. His attempts at affection were disarming and delicious. He pulled away too quickly for her to begin responding. He gazed at her half opened eyes, he knew he was getting to her.

Mokuba finally returned from the kitchen with Raine in tow. Mokuba placed a huge bowl of ice cream before Iolite, she let out a small gasped and covered her mouth. The bowl contained about 4 scoops of ice cream and what looked like a mixture of assorted candies, lots of unidentifiable goop, whipped cream, sprinkles, cherries, bananas and only heaven knew what else.

"I'll never be able to eat all of this."

"Is that a refusal or indifference Highness?" Kaiba smirked.

Raine placed Kaiba's bowl down, it was much worse for him. His bowl had twice the ice cream that hers had and even more interesting things. He wrinkled his nose at the mess and growled at his brother, "I think you've outdone yourself."

Iolite played with the soupy mess while Kaiba attempted to taste it.

"Did you put red hots in here?" Kaiba grabbed a napkin and spit the mess out

"Of course Big Brother, and those mints you like."

Iolite was turning red, trying hard not to laugh at the situation.

A cold plop against her cheek snapped her into reality. Mokuba had fired a spoonful of his creation at her. It took a second for it to register, Kaiba looked shocked and was rewarded with a hit of his own.

Iolite looked at the gunk sliding down Kaiba's forehead. "Enough Mokuba." Kaiba warned.

She picked up her spoon and, with dead accuracy, nailed Mokuba in the nose.

"Hey," Mokuba cried out, "That's not fair!"

He was answered by another scoop hitting him in the shoulder fired by his big brother. She looked at Kaiba with astonishment; he was now part of this ice cream fight?

The three started really attacking one another to the point that they each played a duck and cover game around the table. Raine, smartly, had left when it started.

They were each covered in a cold, melting, sticky sweet mess. Iolite finally ran out of projectiles to toss. She looked at the remains at the bottom of her bowl, only ice cream soup and two M&Ms were left. Kaiba took advantage of the opportunity and approached her with his nearly empty bowl.

"You wouldn't," she defied him. She was wrong...he pulled the lip of her shirt forward and then dumped what remained in his bowl down the front. She overturned her bowl on his head. He brushed it out of his face. She giggled when an M&M slid down a lock of his hair and hit the floor.

"I'm sticky," Mokuba announced.

They all stood up and looked at one another. Cook came in at that moment to see how they were enjoying dessert and gasped.

"Did you all miss your mouths? What did you do?" She started laughing.

Iolite looked down at herself, she was coated. She could feel small rivers of cream drip down her shirt.

"I'm going to clean up," she looked at Kaiba, who was staring at her intently. "What?" She asked picking some of the red hots out from her hair.

He knew the nasty dessert would taste amazing on her, but if he told her his seductive thoughts he knew he would deserve the slap he got.

"So, this is what a 'royal mess' looks like?" He asked, snidley. She tossed the assorted candies she had picked out of her hair at him. She winked at him, "I hear I clean up well." With that she left the room. He resisted the urge to suggest he help her.

An hour later Iolite and Mokuba were curled up on one of the couches together. She was reading his Harry Potter book to him and he was enjoying her undivided attention. Kaiba entered the room quietly and sat with a book, away from the two. He tried to read, but found himself listening to her instead. He closed his eyes and rested his head back against the chair he sat on.

She wondered if he was sleeping, some famous CEO...napping.

She looked down and realized Mokuba's eyes were closed and his breathing was steady and even. It had been a long day. She approached Kaiba's chair and her breath caught. In sleep he was even more striking. She started flipping her hair through her fingers.

"Do you know you only do that when you're nervous?" She realized he was awake, but his eyes remained closed.

"How do you know what I'm doing?"

"Excellent hearing Highness." He slowly opened his eyes and took in the sight of her.

"Mokuba is asleep," she managed, his gaze was unnerving her.

He rose and walked over to him. He scooped Mokuba up and the two of them slowly climbed the stairs. They tucked him in, she was amazed at Kaiba's gentleness. A million thoughts raced through her mind, she felt him take her wrist and lead her from the room decorated with duel monsters.

They walked hand in hand to his bedroom. She wondered, faintly, if she could outrun him, the thought of what was about to happen terrified her. They entered the room and he closed the door, and as if reading her thoughts on escape, locked it.

She thought he would approach her, but instead he walked past her and disappeared into the bathroom. She wondered if he had forgotten his promise. The bed seemed too small to be shared, even though it was a king. He came out of the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She silently went to the bathroom herself and changed into an oversized shirt and shorts. She brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into a pony tail. Slowly she reentered the room. He was lying on the bed waiting for her return. She sat as far away from him as she could get. She didn't know what to do, and she hated that her hands were shaking.

"You're not afraid of me are you?" He asked, hoping to give her courage with a denial.

She thought for a minute, "No, just nervous."

"I did promise not to touch you and I will keep that promise."

"I know you will," she laid down and then turned on her side to face him. He seemed a lot closer than she originally thought he was.

"I have a confession to make," she stated solemnly.

"I'm hardly a Priest Highness."

"I've never slept with a man before." She searched his eyes, wondering if her inexperience would anger him.

"You had a boyfriend," he nearly choked on the words, the thought of her with someone else was maddening.

"I never did much with Ryan." She acknowledged. "If anything I refused his advances more than I ever accepted."

"Did you give him your heart?" Her answer was meaningless, she was his wife now, but it mattered fiercely.

She could feel his anger, "My heart is my own."

He longed to test that theory.

"So, you won't touch me at all?" She asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Not tonight, you're safe until the morning." He smiled dangerously at her.

She remembered how his kisses felt, she wanted more, and it killed her that she wanted more.

"If I kiss you, will you break your vow?"

A shiver passed down his spine, it would frustrate the hell out of him to lay still while she kissed him. He shook his head no.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. It was an innocent kiss, his were far hungrier. She pulled back and store at him, her eyebrow rose in question. She stroked her fingers down his face, rearranging the unruly hair that covered his blue eyes. A wicked smile came across her lips, "roll onto your back," she whispered.

He looked astonished at her, was she being brazen? He locked his fingers together and put his hands behind his head when he rolled over. She wanted to test his promise. She curled her body up against his, she leaned against his chest, resting her chin on her hand. She was only inches from his mouth. She leaned in and kissed him again, his tongue stirred against her closed lips. She pulled back, he smiled at her.

"Why do you always taste like peaches?" he asked in a voice that was filled with lust. She was driving him wild with her innocence.

She shrugged, "It's my lip gloss," she covered his mouth again and let him deepen the kiss. She moaned softly as he ravaged her mouth. When she was breathless she pulled back and looked at him. She was trying to see if any of his self-control was ebbing. "I could change it."

"Change what?" He asked, not being able to follow rational thought.

"The flavor of my lip gloss," she purred against his lips.

"Don't," he whispered as he tried to claim her mouth again.

"Do you like it?" She teased, her mouth lingering a mere inch out of his reach.

"I'm not sure yet, I think you'll have to let me try it again."

She smiled as she closed the distance. This time she deepened the kiss. Pulling the breath out of him and making his head spin. She ran her fingers through his hair, down his shoulders and slowly to his chest. She pulled away and looked down at him, she wondered if she was as flushed as he was.

She wanted to keep pushing him, to see how true he was to his word, besides if he couldn't touch her there was no fear that it would get much more serious than kissing. She slowly straddled his waist and put a hand on either side of his head.

_She has seriously lost her mind. She has no idea how she's affecting me. I have a ton of self-control, but I don't know how long I can take this without teaching her what it means to be 'married.'_

She was so content with kissing him, stroking his skin, and breathing in his scent that she took no notice of his reactions at her deeds. Her own reactions were becoming too hard to control. She knew she had to stop this agonizingly sweet torture. She slid off his waist and cuddled up against his side. She wished he would drape his arm around her, maybe hold her. No man had ever treated her so righteously.

"I like kissing you Seto..." She absently played with his hair as she rested her face close against his neck.

"I thought you didn't need anymore kissing." He reminded her.

"Sometimes I speak before I realize what I'm saying." She struggled to position herself so she could look into his eyes. "Am I any good at it?"

"At what?" _Driving me insane with passion? You're a pro..._

"At kissing." She looked so serious he had to smile.

"You'll get better."

"Excuse me?" She folded her arms across her chest, "If I'm not good at kissing then I think it's your fault."

He smirked at his pouting Princess, "How is your shortcoming my problem?"

"Well, you're the only man I've seriously kissed. It's your responsibility to show me how." She raised her chin defiantly.

"Are you asking me to teach you how to kiss Highness?"

Her eyes snapped open, had she really suggested that?! "NO! I never said that."

"Maybe not directly, but you suggested that it is my responsibility to make sure you're good at it."

"You're impossible!"

"You're delightful."

She looked at him sheepishly. "Have you just complimented me?"

"You...yes, your kissing...no."

She looked hurt, he felt bad for taking his jests too far. He liked her spirit and he only wanted to tame her, not break her.

"Well, if I'm that bad maybe you shouldn't waste your time on me." She turned her back on him.

"Kissing you is hardly a waste of my time."

"Why don't you go find someone else to kiss that's better at it?"

"Because I want you."

"Well, then maybe I should find someone else who can put up with my kissing in order to 'train' me." She turned to show her smug expression, but noted the icy cold stare she received.

"I won't share my wife with anyone." He growled, looking very foreboding.

She wanted to remind him that this was just a marriage of convenience, but didn't think it was a good time for that. His scowl wasn't what she had in mind for the end of such a wonderful day. She downcast her eyes and sighed. She had infuriated him again. She was rather good at it, but at the moment she wanted Seto, not CEO Kaiba.

She leaned down, without thinking, and kissed him. At first he didn't respond, but slowly his lips softened at her insistence and he rewarded her with a kiss that drove all thoughts from her head.

**A/N:** I had this idea and I had to run with it. I hope I haven't disappointed you all with it. I needed to have a little romance in here-I'm still building tension. I just wanted to reinforce their lust for one another. The next chapter will be building on plot, but the mood I'm in needed fluff.

Tenshi: Ryan will get revenge...don't feel too sorry for him...

Frost: Thanks for your concern...We're doing ok in Tampa. I am sooo thankful the electric is on so I can at least write. I've just about had it with the board games and the guys are watching the Star Wars trilogy (no cable) so I can do this to stay sane. Our house in Palm Bay sustained minor damage, shingles, soffet, and screens out of the lanai, plus a flooded backyard. I think we're staying here for a few days until the emergency crews can clean it up enough for us to get home. Living w/o electric will stink...that's why I'm posting now 'cause I may not be able to for awhile. As for your comments...I try reading and re-reading, I try to catch it all, but sometimes I miss. Spell check gets run, but it sometimes misses things as you know. College classes for me are a hassle, I'm in merit classes and usually get bogged down, so I do understand. I'm glad you like the foreshadowing...it will come into play next chapter.

Setolover: I like how Kaiba is coming out as well. He'll be more true to form next chapter. I just like fluff every now and again. I hope I didn't destroy Kaiba too much here. I had to show how their feelings are developing. What do you think?

whitejellO: You got the place right. I should have said he laughed cynically...you know like an 'I don't think so' laugh. Can you imagine Seto Kaiba in a ballet class?! I think that would be a riot. I'm glad you liked the chapter and yes, the games begin in the next chapter. I'm already well on my way to finishing that chapter. Funny how much time you have on your hands when a storm rages and you get cabin fever...lol.

ssp: I was so trying to avoid writing a mary jane. I know I describe her as beautiful, but she is also annoying, argumentative, intelligent, sarcastic, nervous and messy. Please tell me what else you think I need to do to keep her from being a mary jane...I hate that. She's going to show her intelligence more in the next chapter, hopefully that will help. Give me ideas. I would hate to ruin her. As for her and Ryan, she has known him her whole life. She thinks of him more as a friend than a 'boyfriend.' Unfortunately he sees her as more. She never knew she didn't 'like-like' him until Kaiba started kissing her, then she realized what it was suppose to be like. Does any of this make sense? Anyway, thank you for the comment!

Thanks for all the reviews...I love reviews, they are inspiring and I'm so thrilled that you are all reading this! Please keep it up, thanks ever so much!


	16. Let the Games Begin

**A/N: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...would I be going to college if I did? Anyway, I have something to clear up. The Star Wars trilogy is awesome, however, when your friend buys the new DVD set and you watch all 3 Friday night, then all 3 on Saturday and when cable goes out Sunday they watch it again you grow weary. Heck, one of my favorite lines is in _The Empire Strikes Back_... When Princess Leia says, "I love you," to Han and he says "I know." How classic is that?! Love it! Darn this chapter is long...sorry in advance...I'm bored over here w/o cable.

Chapter A

The first rays of sunlight entered the room causing Iolite to stir. She gently stretched like a feline and sighed contentedly. Opening her eyes she noted Kaiba was not in the bed with her. She sat up slowly and scanned the room. His laptop was missing. She shrugged. He had gone to work, she laid back down. She absently stroked the pillow where his head had rested the night before. She smiled. He was amazing. He might exude a frigid exterior, but there was far more to him than that. Looking at the clock she realized she had slept 8 full hours. It dawned on her that he had caused her insomnia to retreat for the night. Slowly she rose, showered, dressed and headed for the kitchen.

Raine was sitting at the table reading a paper and drinking his coffee. He smirked at her cheerful disposition. "I take it you slept well?"

"I slept fine."

"Kaiba left an hour ago, he said you were still sleeping."

"I was." She eyed Raine suspiciously. He was digging for dirt and she wasn't prepared to give him an inch, she was still mad at him.

"What are your plans for today Princess?"

She smiled, "I plan on meeting the staff and playing with Mokuba."

"Well, Mokuba won't be here until after school."

She hadn't thought of Mokuba as going to school. She frowned, she would miss him. "I guess I'll have to do some work then."

"Don't start trouble Princess."

She smiled at him as she grabbed her mug and left the room. She hooked her laptop up and started typing away madly.

First she checked for mail from Ryan, there was none, so she left him a quick note.

_Ryan...I have a lot of explaining to do. I want to do it in person, but I'm not sure when I will see you. Things have changed, and while I'm no longer in danger, my personal situation is different. I made a desperate move and I hope you let me clarify before you kill me. ...Iolite_

She wanted to sign it 'yours' or with some sincere salutation, but found she couldn't. How do you tell the man who loves you, who has loved you for as long as you could remember that you married someone else? She sighed.

Moving on half-heartedly, she hacked into Cathway. She wanted to take a direct entrance, but if she did she could be traced. She checked accounts, made sure Mortimer's interests were still well hidden. She then changed several paths within the infrastructure and set up a trace on interests for another company her brothers were in league with. She would search and destroy, it might take a little while, but eventually she would prevail.

A sly smile crossed her lips as she closed out of her company. She decided to hack into Kaiba Corp. She had found a backdoor several months ago when she originally planned on raiding him. She knew his computer techs weren't aware of this door, as her insider had been paid handsomely and employed above his abilities. She checked his files; Kaiba was brilliant when it came to managing his corporation. He always held the majority interest in his company, so if someone were to attempt to take it over they could never compete with his shares. Mokuba also held interests so, it was assured that the Kaibas would hold on to KC for a good long time. She liked that idea. She checked to see what he was doing at the moment; if he was logged on she could spy on him. She discovered he wasn't logged in. She tried to find his interoffice mail, she thought about reading it, but resisted the urge. She chided herself for not being as cutthroat as she could be. If she didn't know him she would have investigated his mail thoroughly. The phone rang and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Hello?" She asked tentatively. She knew Kaiba had no way of knowing what she was doing, yet...

"May I please speak with her royal highness?" Came a feminine voice.

"Speaking...who is this?"

"This is Mirium Tenatu, Mr. Kaiba's secretary."

"Please call me Iolite, what can I do for you?"

"Mr. Kaiba has arranged for the two of you to have lunch at one today, he has asked that you be punctual."

"Please tell Kaiba that I am unable to attend, due to a conflict of interest. Thank you." She hung up the phone in a huff. He had the audacity to have his secretary call to order her about? She would have said yes if he had asked, but she would not be ordered.

An evil plot hatched...she'd get even with him.

Slowly she began typing an invite to lunch for all employees of KC...

_Due to all of your hard work and effort I, in my infinite generous ways, have decided to indulge you all with lunch. Please go to your favorite restaurant today and order to the hilt. I will gladly pick up the tab as a gesture of my munificence. Just charge it to the following account#098709. Your humble CEO...Seto Kaiba_

She giggled as she set up the account in the payables department. She blocked the ability to delete the account using several hacking techniques. She wasn't a slave to him and she wouldn't be ordered about. How dare he think that a call from a secretary with an order would make her jump. Kissing him the night before was amazing, but it didn't change that fact that she would not be submissive to him. She hit the send key and out went 'Kaiba's' offer to his employees. If he allowed the offer to stand he would lose a bit of money, however, if he tried to take it back he'd look horrible. Either way her point would be made.

"I'm sorry Mr.Kaiba, but your wife refused your invitation." The secretary cowered before the intense stare of her boss.

"I don't believe that I offered it as an invitation, it was an order. Did you tell her that?" _How dare she refuse me?!_

"Would you like me to call her back sir?"

"No, you're worthless. Go file papers or something, seeing as I want this done correctly I'll have to take care of it myself."

He picked up his phone and dialed home. It rang until one of the servants answered.

"Put my wife on the phone," he growled at the flustered help.

"Yes sir," she stammered.

A few minutes passed, Kaiba looked at his watch twice. First she refuses him and then she keeps him waiting. She was insolent and he would have to start addressing this.

"What do you want Kaiba," she sighed as she picked the phone up.

_She actually has the nerve to sound exasperated? _"You will be here at one o'clock for lunch today."

"No, I won't." She replied flatly. At first she thought he found out about the lunch thing, but now she realized it was her refusal to obey that caused him to call.

"I'm sending the limo at 12:30, be ready." He was standing firm.

"Go right ahead, it will return to you empty."

"Highness..." He was about to go on a tirade about her place in his life when he heard a click and a dial tone. She hung up on him!

"I won't be bullied Kaiba." She spat at the phone. "I'm a far cry from the girls who throw themselves at you. No price on earth could call me to your heel." She stopped, realizing that she was yelling at the phone.

"What have you done now?" Raine asked as he entered the room.

"Why do you assume it's something I've done? Why don't you assume it's Kaiba's pig-headedness and ego?" She fumed at him.

"Because Princess I know what a temper you have and I know how you enjoy goading the man. I wouldn't be surprised if he tossed you over his knees and paddled your bottom."

Her eyes widened, "I'd kill him if he spanked me. You and Kaiba can go to hell together!" She started her retreat when the phone rang, "Tell him I have no interest in speaking with him, my answer is no."

Raine picked up the phone. Kaiba was fuming. She refused him and hung up on him. He explained to Raine that he wanted her there under any condition that might need to take place. Raine laughed as he pictured a bound and gagged Iolite being tossed into the trunk of the limo.

When the limo pulled up Raine told her it was time to go.

"You go and meet my husband," she was annoyed, "I have to finish this book."

"Do I have to drag you like a child, or will you cooperate?" Raine was growing weary of her antics.

"Fine," she spat, "I'll go, but see if I say one word to that man."

"I think he might find your silence more appealing."

"Go to hell Raine."

They arrived at Kaiba Corp. on time. Despite all of her efforts to delay and postpone it was now 12:55 and she was standing outside his private elevator. She was stuck wearing a short black skirt and light blue blouse. She had tried pulling the 'I don't want to wear this' card and kept changing. Raine put an end to that game when this outfit was yanked on. He smiled, as he looked her up and down, she looked like a lady as opposed to a tomboy. He wondered if Kaiba would notice the difference. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun on her head.

When the doors opened into his office she stepped out, flanked by Raine. She walked over to the chair in front of Kaiba's desk and sat down, demurely crossing her legs. Raine left and went to stand outside the office. Kaiba was on the phone. A few more minutes and a few "Uh-hum's" later he hung up and looked at her.

She met his gaze evenly. "I don't like being ordered around Kaiba."

"I didn't mind being ordered around last night," he replied with an evil grin on his face. He noted how her cheeks blushed. "Are you mad I left without kissing you good-bye?"

She had no reply for him, he had rendered her speechless.

"Are you ready for lunch Highness, or should we begin our lessons?" His eyes settled on her lips.

"I want food Kaiba," she challenged, "Nothing else."

He smiled as he watched her stand. She looked amazing. He watched as she tried to casually pull her skirt further down her thighs, the heels she was wearing made her legs look even more curvaceous. She was stunning, and she was all his. They approached the elevator. She tried to stay away from him, as he tried to make as much contact as possible. He liked the fact that he unnerved her. She wasn't scared, or intimidated, traits that he enjoyed in other women, but instead she was confused. He liked that. He was also fascinated at how she came to life when he touched her, how she called him 'Seto' when they were intimate.

They soon arrived at the restaurant. She noticed how all eyes turned to them when they entered. She could hear the whispers. _Who is she? I know I've seen her before... Seto Kaiba has a new toy? Wonder how long this one will last..._

She was far from embarrassed, in fact, she was furious. She linked her arm with his as they navigated their way to the back. A half circle booth waited for them behind long drapes.

"We hope this is to your liking sir, on such short notice we can merely wait for the restaurant to clear as opposed to clearing it."

"It's fine, just accept no more customers until we leave," Kaiba warned, his eyes were defiant.

She slid into the booth, he slid in from the other side and settled in next to her. _Great...now I have to sit next to him? At least if we had a table we would be forced to sit across from one another. I'm simply an object he craves, nothing else. Is this what he does to all the women he wants? _

She crossed her legs away from him and started flipping through the menu. She frowned when she noticed how little she liked on it. She should have royal taste buds, but alas, she preferred the kiddy menu to adult fare most of the time.

"Is something wrong Highness?" He asked, not looking up from his menu.

"Everything is fine. I'm just having problems finding something to eat. I don't like rich foods."

"Maybe we should order you chicken fingers and French fries like Mokuba..." he suggested dryly.

"Could we?" She jumped at his suggestion.

He slowly turned to look at her and noticed that she wasn't kidding.

The best part of her whole meal was the dessert she ordered, chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce. Kaiba hadn't let her order chicken fingers, hence, she mainly pushed her food around the plate. Now they sat there in silence. She wasn't interested in conversation with someone who could so easily push her buttons.

"So," Kaiba finally spoke, "would you like to know where we are going after this?"

"I'm hoping I get to go back home while you get to stay in your office."

"My companionship annoys you that much?"

She looked away, she feared he would see her eyes soften at the thought of him.

"We're going to a business meeting." He announced.

"Whom do you have a meeting with?" She tried to sound bored.

"Your boss's secretary called me this morning. We're going to have a talk with Mr. Cathway himself." Kaiba watched her face.

She paled at the thought of meeting the boss of Cathway, seeing as it was her. Who would claim to be her? She swallowed hard and turned to Kaiba. Was this a trick, did he know her secret? If not, it could be a trap. Maybe her brothers had found out and were using this to get to her.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" He asked, knowing he was missing something.

"He wouldn't come looking for me, I'm a lowly worker, why would my boss come for me? It has to be a ploy."

She tried to turn away, but Kaiba caught her chin. "You're a first rate hacker and a corporate raider. I know you're high up on the food chain at Cathway, why lie and tell me otherwise?" He could see the panic in her eyes. His blue eyes narrowed on her.

"I'm not that good..."

"I liked the lunch bug you put in our system," he smirked. "I should teach you about my...generous...or...how did you put it...my munificence, Highness."

His hand slid up her back and stopped. He pulled the clip out of her hair, as it tumbled down her back he began caressing her neck. "I want you to wear your hair down, you look angelic this way, it hides the demon lurking below the surface." His mouth trapped hers. His tongue demanded entrance and she gasped as he took advantage. Her heart pounded as he plundered her mouth, she hardly had the common sense to respond before he withdrew.

"Now Highness, tell me why you don't want to see your boss."

She was mystified, she tried to think of a lie, but he had so thrown her she couldn't concentrate. "I...I...anyone could pretend to be him, to get to me...and I..."

She felt his hand sliding up her thigh. He moved in close to her mouth again, "the truth Highness. Why would this be a ploy?"

She attempted to focus, but with him so near it was impossible, she searched his eyes and realized how ragged her breath was. He nibbled on her bottom lip, his tongue stroking its curve. "He has no use for me. I was a risk towards the end..."

He made his way over to her neck where he was running hot kisses along her ear, breathing warmly at the entrance. "You weren't a risk, you're an amazing hacker, skills like yours are demanded in a raider's mind. You will tell me the truth."

"Is there anything else we can get you?" The two were startled, Kaiba had to practically pry her fingers off his thigh. He smiled at her as he led her out of the restaurant. They rode in silence to the hotel for the meeting. She had tried to convince Kaiba that it was foolish, but he insisted.

When they arrived they were led into a waiting room. Kaiba sat, she paced, and Kaiba's guards were poised at the door. When she heard the doorknob turn she store at it. The door slowly opened.

There he stood, in the doorway. His eyes searched the room, when they locked on her his heart lept.

"Ryan!" She cried out and ran to him.

"Princess!" He gathered her up in his arms and held her tight against him.

He was crushing her against him, holding her so high she had to look down at him. She was smiling radiantly at him. "What are you doing here?! I should have known it was you!"

Kaiba stood, jaw clenched, his hands in fists at his sides. He didn't know how to approach this. He wanted to kill him. His stomach lurched.

"I know things have gone from bad to worse. I wanted to be around when the coronation happened. You look amazing."

She laughed as he rubbed his unshaven cheek against the soft skin of her neck. She tore into fits of giggles and demanded to be released. "Do you ever shave?" She asked as she rubbed the now red skin on her throat.

"Now where would the fun in that be?" He slapped her backside playfully.

Kaiba cleared his throat. Her eyes went to his immediately. She saw he was furious.

"Oh...um...ah..." She was stammering as she walked back towards Kaiba. His arms were now folded across his chest and his glare was deadly. She stood within inches of him and then turned back to Ryan. Ryan didn't look anymore pleased. She was now caught between a rock and a hard place.

She looked at the cobalt blue eyes filled with unspent rage. His body language spoke volumes about how he felt: the folded arms, the stance he had taken, and the arrogant way his chin was up. Was he jealous?

Ryan was fire to Kaiba's ice. Ryan wasn't as tall as Kaiba, nor was he as formidable; he was, however, dangerous. They were having a staring contest and she could only imagine what they would do next.

"Ryan..." she began with a tremor in her voice, "This is my husband Seto Kaiba."

"Seto," she realized his eyes were on her now, "this is Ryan, my..."

She had no idea what to say. Her boyfriend? Not anymore. Her friend? Not to Ryan. Her business ally? Not for long she imagined. Kaiba's eyes were boring a hole in her.

"Acquaintance?" Kaiba suggested.

"Her fiancé," Ryan corrected.

**A/N: **

Solo girl: I'm glad you're liking this...hope I sufficently cleared up the Star Wars comment!

ssp: wow...I mean wow! Thanks for the ton of input. I'm not into bashing or a lot of other things I have read. I have seriously gone over your review several times. I've done quite a bit of what you said already. Hopefully, now that I've set up Seto and Iolite's relationship, you'll start to see her character come into her own. She is about to start stumbling...

Frosty: I love Star Wars too...darn did I put both feet in my mouth or what?! I'm taking a fiction writing class, a sci-fi class, a criminal justice class, and an intro to criminal justice class, oh, and a math class (flame me if you like, but I HATE math...no appologies for that statement). Luckily my parents think it's better for us to stay here until power is restored at home. So, I get to stay in AC (VERY important in sunny Fla.). My friends are hating their lives at home. I'll have a ton of work to make up, but I'm so ahead it isn't even funny...I'll just need a math tutor...hmmm got Seto's number lol?!?!

whitejellO: Yep it is mary sue-not a mary-jane, my mistake, blame it on the brain cells I've been losing thanks to the stress of being in Florida (need I say more? lol) I'm glad you liked the chapter, it's kind of a favorite of mine. As for Kaiba being an expert, I would sure love to know! Don't worry her flaws are starting to show...more to come as well...promise!

Tenshi: No, she's not omniscient, she can't see the future. The dream was more of a 'you want Kaiba, not Ryan' thing. Mortimer was there 'cause he scares the hell out of her. He'll show up soon too. Ryan is going after Seto, not her, not yet...I still am up in the air on him.


	17. The Showdown

A/N: No, still no Yu-Gi-Oh ownership here. Just a girl with an imagination and a lust for a certain CEO, who unfortunately, doesn't belong to me. Alas my boredom of videotapes and DVD's has led me to write my next chapter. Seeing as all of my most faithful readers (and a new one...goody...love new reviewers!!!) have read and reviewed I guess I'll post the confrontation. I hope I did this well, I've gone over it a dozen times, it's crucial for the rest of my plot to work. You all have to let me know, if not I pull it and try again...

Chapter 17

A strange and uncomfortable hush fell over the room. Iolite was standing there with her mouth gaping open. Seto's eyes were filled with fury; Ryan was seething to the point where his hands, now fisted up, were trembling.

She slowly stepped in front of Seto, hoping that her body could act as a deterrent to mass violence by the two men.

"Ryan," she started, trying to gain his attention away from the wrath that was threatening to unleash behind her. "You know just as well as I do that our 'engagement' was never official." Her voice was calm and even. She hoped it would help to calm one or both men down to see her placid.

"I asked. You answered 'yes' there is nothing more official than that Io..."

He was talking at Kaiba, not truly addressing her. "As far as I'm concerned we are betrothed, your marriage is simply something that needs to be undone so your true wedding can take place-to me." His words were clipped and cross.

"It seems to me that if she had honestly wanted to marry you she would have done so before any of her problems started. Seeing as it wasn't even announced leads me to believe that she had no intention of marrying you." Kaiba was using a matter-of-fact tone, which was dripping in sarcasm. Iolite closed her eyes, in an attempt to calm her racing pulse. This must be what it feels like to stop a tornado, you can see horrible things coming, but you're powerless to stop it or minimize the damage it will do.

"Well?!" Ryan finally turned his attention to the girl who was practically ripping at her hair at this point. She jumped slightly at his harshness. Her eyes opened and took in her childhood friend.

"I...I was too young to consider marriage when you asked. It seemed to make you happy when I said yes so I went with that, but Ryan, I had no idea what I wanted and neither did you."

"There has only been one thing I have ever wanted, that's you Iolite, you're the one constant in my life. Before you left we spent so much time together, we shared so much. How can you possibly be even remotely thinking of keeping up the charade with," he motioned towards Kaiba with his chin, "this cold heartless bastard?"

"This is how it has to be Ryan. If I annul this marriage and try to marry you I'd be ripped back to Valkaria so fast my head would spin. Can't you see how this marriage is protecting me?" She wanted to tell Ryan how Kaiba made her feel, how for the first time she felt secure within a household. Mokuba and Seto were a family that she urgently needed. For some reason she seemed to 'fit' with Kaiba. It wasn't really a question of the necessity to stay married to Seto, it was becoming a matter of _wanting_ to stay.

Iolite couldn't tell Ryan any of this, not now, not in his state.

His eyes softened, "I remember a girl who hungered for glory. Do you remember how many nights we discussed our future? How we conquered so many companies, evaded the enemies your brothers created, we had dreams that were worth dying for...is she gone? Am I discarded now that you have him?" Ryan hardly acknowledged the CEO that was behind Iolite.

Her heart ached for him. She remembered all the times he had come to her rescue. He had convinced her Father that Raine should be placed in charge of her well-being, without that move she would have been chum for the sharks. He had hidden her more times than she could count, once going so far as to fly her out of the country. He never asked for anything in return, and she had given little freely. He fought for every kiss, every embrace, even sweet words that she said to him were coaxed by him. It wasn't that she didn't love him, it was the way she loved him that was wrong. Tears, involuntarily, started forming in her eyes. She used all her strength to hold them back.

"In your e-mail you told me to run. Where would I have gone? There is no place on earth that's remote enough to secure me. Valkarian Royalty, though not tremendously well known, is recognizable. Someone would have found me, and then I would have been sent home to the mercy of the new King...Aron. Seto Kaiba prevented that by marrying me."

"You could have told me your plan. Don't you think I would have been on the next plane to marry you myself?!" He was practically yelling at her now. Kaiba stood stiffly behind his wife. If this man were to approach he would strike with dead on accuracy.

"It would have done us no good. You're a citizen of Valkaria for one thing," her voice now matched his in intensity, "for another you would have been followed. They would have used you to find me!"

"There had to be another way. Why would you join leagues with the Devil himself? Surely you could have found another man to marry in the interim? Until it was safe for me to come to you..." His eyes were still hard, but his voice was faltering. She wanted desperately to reassure him that this had all worked out for the best, but she couldn't find the words.

"When will you annul this unholy union?" Ryan spat and turned from her.

"When I freeze hell over," Kaiba replied coolly. He didn't take the reference to being called the devil lightly.

She turned to look at Kaiba, he was watching Ryan's back like a hawk. His arms were still folded defensively across his chest, he was in a fighting stance she slowly realized.

_How the hell do I diffuse this? They would kill each other if I weren't standing here, of this, I'm sure. I would love to get Ryan alone, but how well will that sit with Kaiba? He'd have a fit. What do I do?_

"What do you gain from this Kaiba?" Ryan growled as he spun, he looked even more agitated than he had when he turned away. "I know you must relish being called 'Prince'. An ego like yours would venerate a royal title. Or is it her looks that have you captivated? I know so many men who have chased her, each wanting to claim her body, but never her mind or heart...which do you want CEO Prince Seto Kaiba?! Are you looking for a way to legally rape her? Or...just maybe...is it something else?" Ryan surveyed the man who his words were raking.

Kaiba was practically snarling at him, his eyes were severe. He would have killed the man with his bare hands if his wife weren't in his way.

"I'm the only one who has ever wanted her for the person she is. Her mind and spirit mean as much to me as her heart."

"You have no interest in her..._body? _I find that impossible to believe. Everywhere we go she turns heads. I know the look of lust and you _'Sweet Ryan'_ have that look. It's almost as if you've been in a desert for years and have come upon a cool glass of water. You're like all men." Kaiba now took on the look of a viper, his words were deadly, "Don't humiliate yourself by claiming your interests are chaste."

"In trying to humiliate me, you admit your own wants Kaiba!"

"I want her, yes, I admit it freely. She is my wife and I have that right. However, if you think for a breath that it's purely hunger you're dead wrong."

"Why then CEO would you want her?!"

Kaiba looked the girl over, he had wanted to own her from the second he had seen her. At first it was primal, but if that was all it was he could have had her several times already. She was passionate and when he kissed her she melted into him, he was certain she would hold nothing back. His problem was that he wanted her willingly. He wanted her to come to him, without him having to stir her into a fervor. He also wanted her mind, hell, he found himself laughing over her practical joke, a costly joke, but a humorous one none-the-less. He wanted her heart, could there still be a chance that she would give it to him, rather than Ryan?

"My reasons are my concern."

"You're being evasive Prince Seto Kaiba," Ryan challenged. He wanted to get this man so riled up that he would take a swing so that Iolite would see who the better man was.

"I own a multi-billion dollar company a royal title might mean the world to some, but I could buy one if I wanted. I never had to chase her, she came willingly at my offer. As for what my wife and I do in the privacy of our bedroom...I won't even dignify that with a response." Kaiba placed his hands on his wife's shoulders, he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her away from here, she would never be allowed to see this man again, ever!

"Have you told him everything Io? Does he know all your secrets?" He realized he couldn't get Kaiba to attack him so he would pounce on her instead. "Have you thought, perhaps he knows more than you think he does?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, almost terrified of the answer. She knew he felt like a trapped animal and was getting messy in his attack. She didn't want him to lash out and say something regrettable.

"Does he know your business dealings? Does he know what you had planned so many months ago? Did you ever consider that this could be an act of revenge?"

Her eyes opened wide, she was slowly shaking her head.

"I know she hacked into my system. I also know she failed at her attempts to raid, I'm not a stupid businessman. You don't think others have tried and failed in the past? A mere girl couldn't bring down Kaiba Corp., not even a girl with her skills."

"A mere girl couldn't," Ryan started, his eyes narrowing on the CEO. "But Cathway could. Don't you agree?"

"He could try...I've covered my bases quite thoroughly, Kaiba Corp. can't be infiltrated! I know she works for Cathway, I've done my homework. Tell me something I don't know." Kaiba dared the infuriated man before him.

"She IS Cathway." Ryan professed for Kaiba's ears.

It was Kaiba's turn to look dazed and confused. His wife was Cathway?! He knew something was amiss, but he never realized it was on this level. She had managed to get in through the backdoor and...what...attempt to take him over? That wasn't possible, he had too strong a hold. What were her motives? She had lied, _all along she had lied_.

Iolite slapped Ryan, she would have punched him if she hadn't had a knee-jerk slap reaction. "You claim to want me, then betray me in your next breath. You're a snake Ryan how could you do this to me?!"

Ryan grabbed her upper arms and pulled her in close, "No Princess, the question is, how could you do this to me?" He slammed his mouth on hers.

Kaiba reacted slowly, due to his shock, but once his mind kicked back in he pulled the two apart and decked the green-eyed blonde who had just attempted to molest his wife. Ryan fell to the floor and wiped at the corner of his mouth with his shirtsleeve.

Kaiba grabbed his wife's arm and jerked her to the door. She didn't have explaining to do, rather, she had revelations to make. She was in a daze as she was dragged down to the limo and practically thrown in. She scooted across the seat quickly. Escape was her first thought, she had to get away from the outburst that her husband was about to have. She reached for the door handle, she decided that now was a good time to run. He slid in quickly and grabbed her around the waist, pulling the car door shut.

"Don't make this any harder on yourself, I'm not in a merciful mood."

He had never looked at her with such hatred. Gone was the man who was teasing her and kissing her. This cold-calculating monster replaced him. She suddenly found herself petrified. She wanted to cry, but was well beyond tears. All that they had built tumbled before her.

"What are you going to do with me?" She stuttered, a cold shiver had replaced the butterflies he usually set to flight within her.

"Maybe I should rape you..." His eyes were wild, his grip tightened, "Should I take what should have been mine on our wedding night?" He growled as he grabbed her to him, grounding his mouth viciously on hers.

When he broke away he looked at the horror in her eyes. His breath caught, she was terrified. She never looked at him like that before, and he never wanted to see that dread in her deep velvet eyes again. He went to push a piece of hair away from her face and was rewarded with her shrinking from his touch, as if she was afraid he would strike her.

She had been abused by men for so long she only knew their fury, now here he was, someone she had trusted showing her his wrath. She closed her eyes tightly, tears escaped down her cheeks.

He pulled away from her, gently returning her to the seat. He turned to look out the window. He had to get away from her, his anger couldn't be trusted at this point. Now he knew why she had called him her enemy. Now he understood why she had goaded him, why she kept trying him. She had to remain distant it was the only way she could destroy his company.

Was the lunch hack a ploy or a sign of things to come? Had he married her and now she was a traitor to him, to Mokuba? Was this her strategy all along? Make him vulnerable? Destroy him from within?

They pulled up in front of the mansion. "Get out." He commanded.

She opened the door and stood up. He leaned across the seat and abruptly pulled the door shut.

"Driver, take me to the airport." He would go away for a while, try to figure out how to regroup, rally against this enemy of his. An enemy he had invited in.

A/N:

mariks1andonly: So glad you reviewed! I'm glad you love it!

whitejello: I'll take your word on the 'stared' thing. Are you enjoying grammer? I try so hard to be accurate, spelling errors and incorrect grammer annoy the heck out of me too. I usually reread my stories dozens of time before I let them go. Yes, Ryan was posing as her boss. I had to figure out how to have a confrontation, what other way could I get the two together? Was it believeable? btw...this story is my baby...I like the other one too (it's growing on me) but this is my prize, it will always come first!

SetoLover: Fluent, catchy and good dialogue? Thank you ever so much!!! I believe you just made my night. I'm glad you're liking this more and more. I'm seriously flattered by the word amazing. I hope I continue to live up to it. I'm having a blast writing this novel...is my writing too long winded?! lol I hope you enjoyed the confrontation, if I get complaints on this part I swear I'll yank it and rewrite it. This was a struggle. I was hoping Seto would be more and more appealing. I'm simply extrapolating what he already is!

Solo-girl: Ok...it's now Thursday...day 7 of the Star Wars DVD being viewed. I could go watch it or I could continue writing...you choose...lol! Glad you're excited about the plot. I like the analogy...pudding huh?

Frosty: I loved your second installment of Magnolia Blossoms (promotion from me to you). I can see Seto as jealous and possessive. I remember when he tore up Yugi's grandfather's Blue Eyes simply because he wanted no one else to have it. There is a problem with that, can you imagine what he would do with a girl who captured his heart? It's so enigmatic! Love the possibilities...As for using 'fun' against Iolite, I think he found one of her weaknesses...her desire for him. How many hands would rise if asked if Seto Kaiba was their weakness?! I for one...

Tenshi: How is this for fast?


	18. Licking wounds

A/N: Mantra...Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own my characters. I hope last chapter pleased everyone, this one might not...but it will get better I promise. I needed this in there, my friend (who reads this right before I post) is a bit annoyed...Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are the best! You really keep me going.

Chapter 18

Iolite made her way up the stairs and into the room her and Kaiba shared. She was completely numb. She didn't know what all of this meant, was it over? She closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it for strength. She had lost him. She slid to the ground. After propping her chin on her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs she let the torrents go. She cried until sobs devastated her body and she thought she would die. He hated her. She had ruined everything. Gone was the man she had feelings for, replaced by a cold hearted fiend who was a typical male in every respect.

_The more I let you in the weaker I grow. I'll grow cold and lock you out now Seto. I almost lost myself in you, thankfully you revealed your fangs before I bared my throat. I have to forget everything that was waking up. I had my soul buried so deep, you started to uncover my secrets and my desires, but now my hopes have fallen. I'd never do anything to hurt Mokuba, but you Seto, God help me I will resist you._

After awhile she slowly began to focus. She scanned the room realizing it would probably be a matter of days until this place was a memory. A knock at the door behind her caught her off guard and she jumped to her feet.

"Who's there?" She asked, trying to sound composed. She wiped furiously at her tear soaked eyes.

"It's Mokuba. Can I come in?"

She closed her eyes tightly. He couldn't see her like this.

"Just give me a minute!"

She raced towards the bathroom and called for him, "come on in!"

She looked around the bathroom, then at her face in the mirror. She was a mess. There was no way she could explain her disheveled appearance. Quickly she wet her hair in the sink and pulled it into a towel, she placed a few drops of visine in each eye and then she wet a washcloth with some cool water, she was ready to face the small Kaiba.

"What happened Iolite?" He jumped off the bed, leaving his book behind, and raced over to her.

"Stupid me, I tried to wash my hair in the sink and ended up getting soap in my eyes and my hair caught in the drain. It was quite painful, but I'll make a quick recovery." She was quite pleased that her voice sounded so even.

"My brother just called," Mokuba started, "that's why I came to talk to you."

She panicked, did Kaiba tell Mokuba everything and now she was caught in another lie? Where would this all end?

"He said that he had to go to an emergency business meeting. He'll be gone a few days so I'm in charge of entertaining you." He smiled so brightly at her, it almost broke her heart. Kaiba didn't tell him anything...she wondered why.

"He said to entertain me?"

"Well," he blushed, "he said to keep an eye on you. I figured that meant to entertain you. So, I was wondering if you could continue reading to me."

She smiled, "of course. I'd love to. At this rate we'll be on our second reading of the stories before _Goblet of Fire_ hits the theaters!" She was rewarded with his giggles as they jumped on the bed and snuggled down with the book.

They read for quite awhile, until dinner. She had no appetite. She had no desire to see anyone or talk. Mokuba kept up both ends of the conversation while the events of the day recycled in her mind. This house actually seemed more oppressive without Seto there. She always thought it would be cheerier in his absence.

Raine knew something was wrong, in the last few days she had been happier than he had ever seen her. Now, here she was, sullen and depressed. The few smiles she granted were forced and cold. She tried to play it up for the child, but he knew her, she couldn't hide from him. He wondered where Kaiba went. Something wasn't right and he would figure it out soon and try to correct the problems he was sure_ she_ caused.

Kaiba wasn't fairing any better than his distraught wife. He kept on going over the events of the day and kept coming up blank. He looked around the penthouse suite he was in. He wanted her here, despite how mad he was. Did he really care what she had said or done? She had married him, stayed with him, and last night he didn't initiate anything, she did. Her eagerness to kiss him was intoxicating; it took every ounce of his strength to uphold his vow to her. He remembered cursing himself well into the night about how stupid he was to promise not to touch her. After midnight he wanted to wake her and say it was morning, hence, his promise had ended. On the other hand, she had wrapped herself around him so tightly that he was afraid to wake her for fear she would move away. Was she that good of an actress?

He knew she was innocent. Could a person with hardly any experience fake the zeal she clearly had for him? He just couldn't wrap his mind around why she had she kept such an important fact from him. He had to protect his corporation; in doing so he protected Mokuba. Iolite was a diversion, nothing more. He wanted something to occupy his bed and she fit the bill. There was nothing more to this than that. Still, a nagging voice in the back of his head wouldn't let his mind be. He could have given her the shares he had acquired from Mortimer and saved himself from this 'unholy' union, as Ryan put it. He chose not to...why? For sex? For power?

He sat at his laptop and tried to work, tried to do something besides think of his angel. He looked at the tray room service had brought up earlier. He wasn't really hungry, except for maybe the fresh peach slices he had ordered.

"Do I really have to go to bed this early?" Mokuba whined as Iolite pushed him towards the stairs. He was excellent at stalling, it was nearly midnight.

"You are up way past your bedtime." He spun around as if to plead his case, but her hand going up silenced him. "Not another word about how you can set your own schedule on the weekends. I think I know how things work around here enough to know it's a great imagination you have, maybe you should become a trial lawyer Kiddo. Lord knows you can argue intensely." She was gifted with a huge smile from the little one.

"I want to be a champion duelist like my big brother!" He saw sadness touch her eyes. He was afraid it was because of his refusal at her career advice, so he amended, "maybe I can be a lawyer part-time."

She was dreading going to bed without Kaiba in the room. "Maybe you can convince me to read to you just a tad bit more before it's lights out."

Mokuba fell asleep almost instantly, but she knew she had hours of walking the floors ahead. She went into their bedroom, noting how the maid had turned down the covers on her side only. She wondered how the girl knew where she slept. She walked over to Kaiba's side and stroked his pillow. Tears welled in her eyes again. She lay down and rested her head where his should have been. Softly she began to sob.

Kaiba paced, it was now 1am and he wasn't even ready to sit down. He was miserable. He wondered what she was doing. Suddenly he was afraid that due to their fight she would leave the grounds. Dread filled his heart; she could get killed out there. Quickly he dialed home.

"Answer the damn phone you incompetent ingrates!" Finally on the sixth ring someone did.

"Hello?" Iolite's voice answered.

There was a long pause; she quickly sat up in bed, swinging her feet over the side.

She knew it was him, "Kaiba? Please say something."

His eyes closed, he was flooded with relief that she was safe. He was still furious with her, but she was safe.

"Don't break any promises while I'm gone." He managed.

"What promise?"

"Don't leave the grounds."

He heard a slight hiccup from her, as if she'd been...crying?

"Does it matter if I do?"

"Iolite," his voice had a warning tone to it.

"I won't." She lowered her eyes, "When will you be coming home?"

"I can't say at the moment."

"Should I leave? Do you want me gone? I will if it means that you and Mokuba can be together again."

"You are to stay there, don't arouse suspicion. I'll deal with you when," _when I can cut off my feelings for you, _"I can deal with your treachery."

He hung up.

A knock sounded at his door. He had alerted a friend to his being in town. He walked over and opened it. There she was, looking as amazing as she always did. The low cut red dress hugged her curves and her green eyes were lustful. "I was wondering when you would come back Seto."

He didn't like how she said his name, it dripped with hunger. He also hated her dress, which left nothing for the imagination. Iolite had more amazing curves, but it seemed her unawareness of it made them more appealing. Tanya stank of a rich perfume, which probably cost her father plenty, but was nauseating. Iolite usually smelt like soap, there was a soft fragrance that surrounded her but it was more of an aura than a perfume.

"Why, did you miss me?" He asked absently, not really caring if she did or not.

"Would you like it if I said yes?" She looked at the hard eyes that were on her. He had been an amazing lover, but that was all. After he and her father had wrapped up business he left without as much as a 'good-bye'. She didn't care, she had enough men to occupy her time. His call tonight caught her off guard, she had had an itch all day and he was just as good as the next man to scratch it, maybe better.

She glided over to the couch and sat, crossing her legs after she hiked up her dress. He smirked, Iolite would already be barefoot and would have tripped over her shoes. He remembered how she tugged down her skirt self-consciously. He was beginning to get disgusted with the tramp before him.

His original plan was to use Tanya to prove that he didn't need Iolite, he had only wanted her to fulfill his needs. That plan was backfiring quickly. It seemed everything Tanya did forced him to compare the two. However, there was no comparison, Iolite was in a league of her own.

"Where do you want me?" She purred as she pulled her hair out of its clip. He watched as the over processed bleach blonde strands fell to her shoulders. Iolite's was natural, cascading down her back, rich golden honey colored, thick and full, she played with it too much, but that was part of her charm. Unlike Tanya she never used her looks for seduction. Tanya made a hobby of her sexual conquests. He honestly didn't know what he had seen in her.

"You're awfully quiet Seto, if you're afraid I'll tell your wife anything be rest assured, I don't want to break up your marriage. I just want to satisfy our mutual cravings. She never needs to know. Hell, I wouldn't want to form a real relationship with you, it would complicate the sex." She stood up and unzipped her dress. His eyes grew harder, he remembered a dress that had nearly suffocated his wife, he also remembered unzipping it for her. A black dress on their wedding day, it set the mood didn't it?

"Are you ok?" She asked as she approached him. He hadn't said a word, he was so deep in thought. She started kissing his neck, sliding her hands along his body. He could feel her skills, she was a pro. He had once benefited from of her expertise. He mentally labeled her a whore, the only difference between her and a street walker was she was filthy rich. He knew she did it for kicks not a paycheck.

She slid her mouth over his, her tongue instantly demanded entrance. Iolite was still learning how to kiss. He remembered when she straddled his hips so she could kiss him. She had no idea what she did to him. His wife's kisses were getting braver, but she was still so naïve and her mouth was so sweet. He wanted her, not this. He abruptly broke the kiss.

"I'm sorry." He grumbled as he pulled away from her grasping hands.

She looked at him with anger in her eyes. "You called me over here in the middle of the night to throw me out?" She looked him up and down. "I'm up for anything you have in mind Seto." She drawled trying to convince the CEO to take her. Slowly, realizing it did no good, she tugged the zipper back up.

"As you said before I am married, I guess I just found a few scruples."

She looked mad, but then turned. "I never thought I would see the day that a woman could call you to her heel. This wife of yours must be something else." She sneered at him.

He watched as the door shut. The only thing he really wanted was a certain Princess. Over a hundred miles away and she consumed his thoughts. He felt haunted by her. He was beginning to realize he didn't just want her body, if that were the case he would be having sex with another warm body by now. He wanted her laughter, her smile, he wanted her tenacity, her intelligence but above all he wanted her heart. He sighed deeply, looking at the book on his bedside table _Turn of the Screw..._She had gotten to him, and as damned as he felt he wouldn't let her leave.

A few days passed and Mokuba noticed Iolite looked more despondent. He needed to devise a plan to cheer her up.

"Maybe we could decorate your room, so you like it better." He suggested, it seemed whenever she went in there she would get teary-eyed.

"Seto used a horrible decorator to handle that room, but seeing as he hardly ever uses it he never changed it." Mokuba tried to get her to look at him, but she was staring out the window at nothing.

"Princess?"

"I'm sorry Mokuba, I'm just feeling sorry for myself is all. It sounds like a wonderful idea. I like decorating. Do you think Seto would mind?"

"Nah, he likes change!" Mokuba knew otherwise, but figured if it made her smile it would be worth the effort. Besides, he could blame it all on Raine.

For the next few days she dragged Mokuba, Raine, three other guards and the whole 'Scooby-gang' to store after store. Painters were hired to brighten up the cheerless tomb. She selected a paint treatment that resembled white marble. Mokuba suggested they make the tray-ceiling look like the sky at sunset. The dark rug was replaced with an ivory one and the drapes came down in exchange for roman shades. The furniture was now light oak. The bed was a magnificent mix of a rod iron canopy and an ornate carved cypress wood. It was a bit darker than the oak, but it was an incredible focal point. She decked the canopy with white gauzy material, which draped down the poles to puddle on the floor. She also replaced the chairs before the fireplace with a cream loveseat.

She now loved her bedroom. Mokubaand her would play games on the new coffee table, sitting on large overstuffed pillows before the fireplace. At night he took up residence with her as she read him to sleep. She willed herself to let go of the memories of Seto Kaiba, everything that could have been, because it was obvious he was done with her. He called Mokuba twice daily but never asked to talk to her. Everyone knew there were problems, but they all spared Iolite's feelings.

She had become quite the household fixture. She helped clean, cook and her gardening methods were unreal. A day didn't pass that she wasn't lending a hand to someone. Raine was so amused; she knew every staff member-their family-and friends. She had been the same way in Valkaria. She threw herself into work to drown out her real problems. He knew she still went on her laptop, but it would usually end in frustration. He attempted to find out what the problem was on a regular basis, but she had shut him out. It was unreal that they were going into their second week without Seto Kaiba in the house.

At night she would check into her company, then read countless e-mails, many from Ryan begging forgiveness. He was still at the same hotel, he refused to leave town until she came to see him. Maybe it was time to break the promise she had made to the great CEO of Kaiba Corp...

A/N: Please don't yell at me about this chapter...it adds insight...

blackcoat 245: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like the story. I'm weaving a tangled web at this point. The way Kaiba is acting, evading her, does he deserve any explainations? lol

Sologirl: Ryan was a bad boy...I know...but hurt people do stupid things. She betrayed him too, she's not that innocent. I like lustful men, they tend to make life interesting. That's why I'm so fascinated with Seto Kaiba, under that ice cold exterior has to lurk...well...you know my train of thought...you have your own ideas on Marik and all! Kaiba wouldn't have raped her, he was hurt by her betrayal. I think it was a scare tactic and then he regretted it immediately when he saw how scared she was.

ssp: I'm glad you think I've pulled her away from being a Mary Sue. I didn't want that label! I think pissing off both men she cares about tells you what a screw up she is...and just wait til she tries to 'fix' things. This chapter lacked humor, but I had to get into Seto's head...and hers. Thanks again for the help!

Mariks1andonly: Glad you love it! Thanks for the review, hope I can keep your interest.

Frosty: I think we were the only two with our hands up...wanna share?! My fast turn-around updates may come to a screeching halt now that I'm back home. We got back last night 'cause we knew our power was back on. I went back to classes this morning. I have a ton of work to make up. Thankfully I did do a lot of reading and stuff when I was away. Hopefully that will be the last time we're refugees this hurricane season! I hate being away from home (glad I keep bringing my laptop!) Sophmore eh? You write ahead of your years! Ryan was very bad in the last chapter and Seto was bad in this one. I guess Iolite has to be next huh?

whitejellO: I'm glad you love the tension and thanks for the compliment about my building it well. You don't have to review before I post for grammer...I know how time is precious. Besides, I want you to enjoy the story and I love your reviews. Reading over my work would be hard seeing as I write and write, then jump ahead, paste and then redo constantly. I get ahead of myself, then have to go back and restructure because I forget to add things and all. You'd pull out your hair, like I do! I'm glad the get together was realistic, I was afraid it might not be. Self-doubt is a wonderful dramatic tool...glad I do it somewhat successfully. Thanks!

Tenshi: This was slower, I had to keep reworking this chapter. I'm glad you're eager to read. Thanks for reviewing as always!


	19. Is Revenge Sweet?

A/N: Mantra: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, only my own characters and my own original ideas in this story.

Chapter 19

Early the next morning Iolite called Mai and Tea. She had been up all night, which wasn't unusual, but instead of working on the computer or walking the grounds she had formulated a plan of revenge. Her two new friends would hopefully help her get back at Ryan and Seto Kaiba in the same breath. She had had enough of being abused by the two men. Each pleading their feelings were noble, but both looked at her with ill intents.

Ryan e-mailed almost constantly. He felt so sorry for his behavior and, she smirked, might actually be remorseful. Kaiba, however, had made no attempts at contact. She wondered how he was doing, what he was doing. Hell, she wondered where the hell he was! She was fatigued by the whole ordeal the men, and she used the term loosely, were putting her through. Who the hell did they think they were toying so cruelly with her? It was time that she became the master of this game. That is where her friends would help.

"Come on in!" She called out when she heard the knock on her bedroom door.

The door opened to Mai with Tea in tow. Neither could get over the renovations in the bedroom. It went from darkness to light in a bare week. It almost seemed like Kaiba had never occupied the space.

"Hey! How are you doing?" Tea asked, knowing that her friend had been upset since Kaiba had pulled his disappearing act.

"I'm a lot better now that the two of you are here." She admonished.

"What can we help you with hon'? It sounded so important on the phone, has something come up?" Mai asked.

"Well," Iolite started, beginning to feel her cheeks burn, "I actually need a little expertise. I know you and Joey have been dating for a while and you probably dated before him as well. What I guess I'm getting at is..." She stammered, not really sure how to ask. "How do I go about encouraging a man?"

"What?" Mai asked, her eyes snapping wide open.

"What I mean is, I'm not very good with this relationship thing. What little experience I have had hasn't done me any good..."

Tea and Mai were dumbstruck by the tenacious blonde before them. Had she finally realized she wanted Kaiba?

"You want me to tell you what exactly?" Mai asked, smiling, knowing that Kaiba would be coming home panting after his Princess once she turned on the charm.

"Well, to put it quite bluntly, how do I seduce a man?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this right!" Tea practically screamed.

"Oh hush Tea," Mai reprimanded the giddy girl who was turning red from embarrassment. "I can help, but I feel a bit like Samantha from Sex in the City for some reason."

"I wish I knew more, but growing up the way I did robbed me of Mother/daughter talks. My Dad was hardly the one to talk to about sex and who would want to ask their bodyguard about the birds and the bees?!"

"Well, the cavalry is here!" Mai announced. "Now, where do I begin?"

An hour later Tea and Iolite were visibly stunned. All throughout her talk the two girls were awestruck at her tactics and ideas. Tea murmured more than once "I don't need to hear this" when Mai spoke of Joey.

"OK then," Iolite finally announced when Mai started getting too graphic.

"This wasn't a bad idea Tea," Mai smiled at the shrinking girl, "maybe you could use some advice for Yugi."

"Oh please," Tea stammered. "He still hasn't tried to kiss me yet! I can't imagine going after him."

"A girl never has to go after a man, he'll usually come to her if she casts the right bait."

Mai looked Iolite up and down, "Now we have to prepare it."

The three girls retreated into the enormous closet and looked over Iolite's wardrobe.

"Kaiba really liked you in that black dress." Mai commented.

"I don't think that's in the running anymore, I lost enough brain cells suffocating in it last time. I don't think I have anything that fits the 'come-get-me' category of clothing."

"No biggie," Tea smiled, "this is my part. Let's go shopping!"

Hours passed as they dove in and out of every store. Slowly they began transforming Iolite's wardrobe to fit a vixen. A majority of money was sunk in Victoria's Secret. She also bought dresses, shoes, make-up and anything else her two friends threw her way. The security guards that flanked them were exhausted. With their treasures tucked under their arms the three raced back to the mansion for dinner and to prepare a seductress.

Raine and Mokuba were in the living room when they entered the mansion. The two watched as the girls bounded up the stairs with their bags.

"I know you've been talking to my big brother," Mokuba stated flatly to Raine. "Has he said anything about when he's coming home?" The small boy's voice was emotionless. Raine knew he missed his older brother, but he also knew as time passed he was growing more attached to Iolite. He, like Raine, didn't like seeing the Princess's feelings treaded on.

"He hasn't mentioned it to me." Raine acknowledged.

"Do you know where he is?" Mokuba continued, wishing he could have convinced his brother to come home during any of their numerous conversations.

"I've been instructed to tell no one that information, not even you, I'm sorry Mokuba." Raine felt for the boy, but his strict instructions given by Kaiba forbade the information to be told to anyone, except in dire emergency.

"I wonder what the girls are up to." Mokuba shrugged as he turned his attention back to the game of chess he and Raine were playing.

"I don't know, but I'm sure your big brother won't like it." Raine frowned, Iolite had been acting weird all day. She had demanded he stay behind and play with Mokuba instead of guard her. He was annoyed, but when she mentioned she needed to buy 'feminine products' he obliged her, almost eagerly, now he regretted that decision. He had a feeling the 'feminine products' she purchased were going to cause heaps of trouble.

"I can hardly believe how much money we spent today!" Tea tossed herself onto the big bed. "I don't think I've ever seen sales ring up that high before."

Iolite tossed a bag at the girl, "this is something Mai and I picked out for you."

Tea opened the bag and saw a blue satin slip dress. She gasped. "This was the one I was looking at. It's so expensive...I couldn't..."

"You already have Tea," Iolite said warmly. "I'm royalty and that still has a few perks. I want you to enjoy it...ask Yugi somewhere special and wear that. I bet you get that kiss." She smiled at Tea's wide-eyed innocent reaction.

"Thank you so much!" She hugged Iolite, then rushed to try the dress on.

"I bought you something as well," she handed Mai a bag. "I suggest you open it when Tea isn't around. I think you've shocked her with enough Joey stories today, I don't think she'll enjoy seeing what he'll be taking off of you next."

Mai smiled as she took the bag Iolite handed to her. "You know you didn't have to do this."

"Yes I did. The two of you have put up with me all day and I know what a pain I've been. I really appreciate you both."

"I only hope we helped. Now," Mai smiled pulling a deep violet camisole set from a bag, "let's get you ready."

About two hours passed from start to finish. When Tea and Mai were done with her she looked even more radiant than usual. They didn't apply much make-up, only accentuated what was God given, her hair was left loose to tumble around her in gentle waves and the 'little black dress' she wore was just that. She pulled on a pair of thigh-high silk stockings and stilettos. She looked confident, but when she gazed in the mirror she gasped.

"That's not me at all," she said in horror.

Mai understood her apprehension, "when he takes one look at you all the fighting words will disappear. He'll be putty in your hands. Now, you're armed mentally and physically go for it Princess."

"I hope this plan of ours buys you enough time to get away." Mai giggled as she slipped beneath the covers of Iolite's bed, turning her back to the door and letting her hair tumble, it could pass for Iolite's if the room stayed dark. Meanwhile Iolite donned Mai's coat and snuck out with Tea. No one would recognize her all dressed up, especially wearing heels. They easily slipped into Tea's car unnoticed and headed into Domino.

"Where exactly am I taking you? I didn't think you knew where Kaiba was staying."

"I don't," Iolite admitted, already feeling bad because she had semi-tricked her friends. "It isn't him I want to see."

Tea's eyes bugged out of her skull as she slammed on her brakes.

"What are we doing then? Please say you're kidding and that we're driving around until we find Kaiba!"

"Hardly," Iolite admitted, "I have someone else I have to see Tea. Please just do this for me. I need to do this, I can't explain it right now, just trust me."

She looked at her friend, not understanding what was going on. "Take me to the Four Seasons Hotel. I'll tell you everything in the morning. Please Tea, before I lose what little nerve I have left."

If Iolite hadn't sounded so desperate Tea would have balked and turned the car back towards the mansion, but she took her there instead.

"How will you get home?" Tea asked as Iolite left the car.

"Don't worry Tea, I'm safe here I promise." She closed the car door and entered the hotel through the rear entrance, like she had with Kaiba a little over a week ago.

She took the same route, avoiding checkpoints and security. She made her way to the familiar door, the same one an angry Seto Kaiba had dragged her through. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, willing her fist to knock on the door. Her gumption was ebbing as her hands started shaking. What was she thinking? Once she entered this room it wasn't going to be a question of when Kaiba would want to see her again, he'd throw her out over the phone because he would never forgive this. She heard herself knock, more than felt it. A few moments passed before the door was yanked open.

"Do you have any idea..." Ryan's voice trailed off as his eyes devoured the woman standing before him. As an after thought he murmured, "...what time it is...?"

"Can I come in?" She asked the man standing before her in his pajama pants only.

He moved aside letting her glide into the room. She stood still, trying to will breath to be drawn. It wasn't the butterflies Seto set off, just an empty pit of dread. How come her plan to hurt Seto by using Ryan wasn't turning out to be so wonderful. Where was the satisfaction she was sure she would feel? She seductively removed Mai's jacket and tossed it over the back of the nearest chair. Her back was to Ryan, she could feel his eyes on her. Slowly she turned to face him, a doe-eyed look on her face.

_What was part two?_ The part where, after their intimacy, she told Ryan she had thought of Seto the whole time... Kill two birds with one stone...destroy Ryan's ego and Seto's in the same breath. 'The Seto Kaiba', she was sure, wouldn't tolerate adultery.

She was aware he was staring at her, he was waiting for her to say something. She didn't have the nerve and suddenly she wished for a parka not a dress. Especially not this dress, which barely reached mid-thigh, and she had never shown this much cleavage before, ever.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, not really caring for the reasons. He slowly, as if stalking prey, started approaching her. He could smell the soft perfume she wore, caught the ragged way she was breathing, she had never looked at him that way before. Could this be a dream? Had she forgiven him and now realized that they really did belong together? Whatever the reason, she was here, and he wanted her more than the air he was breathing.

She bit her bottom lip then looked up at him. "I'm here to give you what you always wanted...me."

A/N: So, how is that for a cliffhanger? What do you suppose will happen next? Will Seto barge in? Will 'something' happen? Well, what do you think? Please read and review...it's the only way I know I'm doing a good job! It's also inspiring, I get the next chapter going faster if I know you're all out there waiting...

Frosty: How is that for being bad? She's getting herself in deep stuff at this point. I'm almost caught up on my work, I have no social life anymore, but I'll be prepared for next week's classes anyway. Why are you off from school today? Anything good? My 'vacation' away from school was hardly for wonderful reasons. Hopefully yours is better. As for the chapter being filler...it actually wasn't. I had to show how Kaiba was subtly changing. He's beginning to realize he has feelings for her.

Solo-girl: Never said he wasn't hot...Kaiba was bad, but like you said he redeemed himself. (I wonder if Iolite will be able to redeem herself)...I liked his realization, at least Tanya the whore was good for something. I can't wait to write about when Kaiba sees her 'changes' in his room...that should get a laugh or two!

Tenshi: Ok, so she's actually screwing things up further. However, if they lived happily-ever-after would it be as much fun to read? Am I twisting things enough? Lol

WhitejellO: I'm so glad you got the purpose for the last chapter! My friend was ready to throttle me for it. But, I ask you, would Seto Kaiba simply fall for anyone? You and I both know it would take something like that to make him figure it out. I don't think it would sound as convincing if he suddenly, like you said, professed his love. As for Mokuba and the 'change' thing...you inspired that when you commented about how you didn't see his room the way I originally described it. Thank you for the idea! I made the room brighter...you like?!

Blackcoat: thanks for the review, I'm glad you loved it. I think I updated it soon enough for you right?

Mariks1andonly: Brilliant work, good writer? Thank you sooo much for the compliments! You are too kind! I'm glad you loved the chapter, hope you like this cliffhanger!


	20. Evil Descends

A/N: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters associated with it. I do own my own plot and characters. Please read and review...thank you all in advance...I know this is a short chapter, but seeing as I usually write long I figured I could get away with this. Please read and review!

Chapter 20

"I hope the embassy is prepared for my arrival," Aron growled at his frail assistant. He was cold and cruel, but his looks were breath taking. He was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. His eyes were a light gray, devoid of the blue his sister was graced with, he had the face of an angel, but, for all his beauty he lacked all human emotion. His light brown hair, which he wore in long layers, curled at the base of his neck. His height and well-built stature made him very intimidating. This new king was a depraved, sadistic demon who put his pleasures over the well being of everyone.

"I took care of the final arrangements yesterday Your Majesty," the girl was tripping over her own feet in an attempt to keep up with his long strides.

"This coming weekend we will have an inauguration party to honor me and my new status. I want the crème de la crème invited, nothing but the best for me." He grinned wickedly. "I only wish my dear old father could attend, have you had any luck locating the old fool?!"

"No Your Majesty sir," she had become more mindful of calling him his title, being backslapped several times brought home the fact that he would have control. "There are still many men attempting to locate him, but at this point they have had no success."

He stopped and turned on her, waiting.

"Your Majesty sir." She finished, cowering before his hard gaze.

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, "So, you're finally learning your place, that's a good girl."

He let her go and continued his walk towards the awaiting jet. The same one his sister had used to flee his impending rule. Now he knew where she was. It was time to reclaim his very valuable pawn. Not only could he use her to entice his associates into donating to his causes, she was the only threat to him and Simon. He knew she was capable of taking down his business associates with just a few keystrokes. She had destroyed a few of his allies already.

He had rallied by destroying their father's company. She was so busy with her own affiliations that she left their father vulnerable to attack. Now Robert Mortimer owned the last remnants of father's stronghold. What a waste, she was blessed with beauty, why she had a brain as well he had no idea. He had to protect his place of power, she was the only member of the royal family that offered a challenge, everyone else fled in terror of him. Her fearlessness and defiance infuriated him, she had to be brought down and soon, before she could cause him further turmoil. He smirked when he thought of what her reaction would be when he came face to face with her.

"Any news on that witch I share DNA with?"

"Iolite? Your Majesty Sir?" The small girl asked tentatively.

"Who else would I mean?"

"The last news, Your Majesty sir, was that Seto Kaiba was still off on a business trip and that she is alone at the Kaiba mansion. She is guarded heavily and isn't allowed to leave without armed escort. Your Majesty sir." She dreaded what this monster would do to his sister once he got his hands on her. He had been raging since the day she was discovered missing.

"She's still alone? Have you ever heard of newlyweds separating so soon after they were blissfully married?" He turned on the girl, a cruel twisted smile formed about his lips. "Just think, this will be the last time we share this plane alone, on the return trip you will have another female so you won't be sniveling alone." He raised his hand, as if to strike her, he loved the reaction of her fast blinking eyes and slight duck. She was broken down at this point, he would need a new 'assistant' who was vibrant. Then he could beat her down just like this simpleton.

They boarded the plane and took off for Domino.

Simon was already at the embassy awaiting his brother Aron's arrival. He was almost the spitting image of his brother, except he had light blonde hair, pale sickly blue eyes and a goatee. He was seeing to the invitations being sent to the local dignitaries and social hierarchy. He lingered over one invitation in particular, the one to his sister. He smiled as he slipped the special invite to a private counsel with 'His Majesty-The New King of Valkaria' inside the announcement, he only wished he could be there when she received it. He knew that her greatest fear was the two of them. How would she react when she knew in a few days she'd be before them?

"I take it all of the preparations are commencing?" A familiar voice stirred him from his thoughts.

"Robert Mortimer...it has been a while friend." Simon turned to shake his hand.

"Friend? I didn't realize I was still valued." Mortimer stated flatly. Taking the extended hand in his slippery palm.

Simon looked at the man before him in. He was an average size man in height, a bit pudgy with large jowls and hooded eyes. He was not attractive, from his potbelly to his receded hairline. His hands always felt clammy and the grease he used to slick his few remaining hairs across the top of his head made him look slimy. He knew his sister abhorred Robert, as did most women, the only ones who gave him attention were the ones who were paid handsomely.

"Why would you think you weren't valued?" Simon asked, despite Mortimer's looks and vicious cruelty, his pocketbook was quite attractive.

"You let your sister marry someone else. I have been after her for years and then you go and let her marry Seto Kaiba?" He sneered at Simon, "I hope you will remedy this situation with some speed."

"Aron knows your plight, Iolite will be here for the inaugural ball. Seto Kaiba has abandoned his new bride, so I think she's fairly ripe for the picking." Simon assured the man.

"Let's hope you're right, I would hate to have to demand payment on the promissory note I have from you and your brother. It would be hard for you both to explain where the money you 'borrowed' from me went. I don't think you new 'loyal' subjects will enjoy being taxed because of your, how shall I say this, _habits_?" Mortimer wasn't the most intelligent man, but he had money oozing out of his pores, it was the only thing he was useful for. He did have a point, the monarchy had sole rulership, but if it dipped too hard into the country's funds the people would revolt. That must not be allowed to happen.

Anarchy, in and of itself, was another reason to get rid of Iolite, the people of the country detested him and his brother, they loved the Princess. She was dangerous on every front, she had to be neutralized.

"I know Aron. He has quite a bit in store for that wandering bitch. She'll learn that she belongs to the monarchy she was born into. She will pay for her desertion and will be forced to make amends to you...my dear friend. How dare she deny you what you have been panting after for all these years. Besides, now she will be even more valuable. Taking something that once belonged to Seto Kaiba will be a major coup for you in the business world. I'm also sure that little shrew has already hacked his system. Wouldn't knowledge of Kaiba Corp. come in handy? Just think of it-Robert Mortimer taking down the likes of CEO Seto Kaiba." Simon fairly beamed at the thought of seeing his baby sister squirm under Mortimer's command.

"You deliver her to me and all debts will be forgiven." Mortimer turned and left the room.

_All debts will be forgiven. You can have her, but not for too long Mortimer, she is quite a commodity, I have a feeling this Princess will be able to erase a lot of obligations for us. Espionage comes at a high price, she's one of the best, her price will be colossal. Between her experience with Cathway plus Kaiba Corp. and the hacking knowledge she has her value has a sky high limit. Also, after being used thoroughly, she will be too mentally distraught to be a threat to my brother's and my power. She'll be a mental train wreck who only lives to raid at the bidding of others, as well as share her charms._

A/N: Just a quick set-up here. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon! Am I being evil not following up the cliffhanger immediately?! I will have the next chapter up this weekend, I think there is a problem with author alerts and all e-mail updates, so just keep checking the 'just in' part of fanfiction for the posting. Hopefully the problem resolves soon. I have stories I'm following and it's frustrating not being alerted to their continuations! (Am I wrong?) As always thanks for any and all reviews!

Frosty: I have no idea if the system is better yet or not. I did receive an author alert from someone on my list, but none from your work. I will keep checking the 'just-in' section to see if you post. I can't wait to see your new baby. I'm attempting another one, but haven't sorted it out enough to post it yet-have to work the bugs out first. I know that Iolite being seductive is a funny thing, seeing as she's usually depicted in shorts, sweatpants, jeans and t-shirts. I never wanted her to be a girly-girl. I think her awkwardness when it comes to seduction would be comical (only going on Mai's advice). I could so see Mai's character being a Samantha too. As for your rambling...I think I ramble too...I love your reviews! Don't change them. Can't wait to read Magnolia!

Solo-girl: She has a lot of explaining to do huh? Well, I'm sorry I'm making you wait a bit longer to see exactly what is going on. I agree with you on his temper, it is vicious, but without it would he be as appealing?

WhitejellO: Thanks for the inspiration...I'm glad you think it worked. I can't wait to write his reactions, I have a few ideas... I'm sorry I was so evil with the cliffhanger, but it worked so well. Ah, Othello...just love William...I guess the next chapter will reveal if it's sugar coated or soaked in vinegar. That's a cool analogy: Othello, destroying the one you love for stupid pride and all because of misunderstandings. If they had just talked about it, it would have worked out flawlessly, but where is the tragedy in that? English comp. has me doing Shakespeare comparisons so you just brought that out in me-sorry! I think _Much Ado About Nothing_ is lighter fare. Maybe I should parallel that one...

Sarah: Sorry you are so opposed to cliffhangers, but they really are cool, keeps your mind wondering. Thanks for the review and I will update this weekend so you won't be in suspense too long I promise!


	21. The Point of no Return

A/N: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, I do own my own original characters and story plot. For all of you who read chapter 20 immediately, I pulled it and then reposted it. I felt I originally made her an object in the enemies' eyes. She is an object, but they also want her mind. I added more insight, and stopped treating her like a sex object. They know she is appealing, but she has more than looks to offer. She posses a great threat to her brothers' power. So, if you want to give it a second look you might spot the differences. She's meant to be a dynamic character not a static one and I didn't do her justice. Let me know what you think. Thanks and please read and review!

Chapter 21

In two short breaths Ryan swept her up in his arms. He kissed her with all the love he had felt for her, she knew this was real for him, but not for her. She tried wrapping her arms around his shoulders, tried stroking her fingers through his hair, she even tried kissing him the way Kaiba kissed her, but she failed on every front. Finally, she pushed at Ryan's shoulders as he kissed her neck.

"I can't do this," she stammered trying not to lose control of her tears.

"What's wrong?" He pulled back and looked down at the girl whose words had been so willing.

"I thought I could, but I can't...I'm so sorry Ryan."

"What are you talking about?" He tried to pull her close, but was met with more resistance.

"I thought I could change how I felt by being with you. Part of me thought I could get revenge for what you did and what he did and that, maybe, I could change course, but I can't." She turned from him, she felt like screaming. _Seto Kaiba what the hell have you done to me?!_

"Has it actually happened Io? Have you finally let down the walls?" He sounded hollow.

"I don't know what I've done." Her words were wrought with tension. "I can't imagine caring about someone like Kaiba, but here I am, with the perfect opportunity to hurt him deeply and I just can't do it. I should after he...abandoned me and accused me of horrible things." She held back the scene in the limo where he had threatened rape, Ryan didn't need to hear that. "I guess part of me has grown _attached_ to him."

Ryan plopped down on the couch. He knew his time with her was over. She had made her choice and despite his efforts, he had lost. He buried his face in his hands. Maybe he should have tried harder, pursued faster, or demanded more. He looked back up at the girl who haunted his sleeping and waking hours, even if she wouldn't admit it, her heart now belonged to Seto Kaiba. He knew he should tell her about the shares Kaiba had stolen out from under her.

Kaiba, he had discovered, had purchased shares in Mortimer's company. Shares that would have bought her freedom, but, he knew it would hurt her to know about Kaiba's treachery. Hadn't he hurt her enough when he revealed she was Cathway? He had hoped it would split them, it had, but at her expense. Now Kaiba had discarded her and she had lost her father, her kingdom and now her dreams of love. Kaiba was a cold arrogant man, but he was also her choice.

She turned back to Ryan. "What do I do now? How do I stop this?"

"Stop what Io?" He replied.

"Stop feeling things for him. I don't want him. I never did. How do I get him out of my head?" She sounded desperate. "Every time I close my eyes I can see him. Even when you kissed me part of me begged for it to be his lips and arms. I hate feeling..." She searched for the words.

"Vulnerable?" Ryan offered.

"Weak." She countered.

He smiled warmly and walked over to her.

"He doesn't deserve your heart Io." He pulled her into a hug, which she gladly accepted.

"I haven't given him my heart, only my thoughts. Don't confuse the two Ryan." She snuggled against his chest. "I don't think I can ever feel that way about anyone, I'm too damaged. I just miss him."

Ryan reluctantly pulled out of the hug. He tilted her chin up and smiled at her.

"Do you have to be home anytime soon?" He asked, hopeful to keep her for a bit longer.

"No, I'm covered for awhile, why?"

"I have some things to show you that I've been researching. I know you've been buying up shares like mad of a few certain companies, but I found something going on at Kaiba Corp. that might interest you."

They circled around to have a seat behind his desk. He logged on, then hacked his way in at KC using her routes.

"You're getting way to good at this Ryan, I think I should start watching my back." She laughed as he navigated the mainframe.

"Shares of his company are being bought, slowly so they won't gain suspicion. Hell, if I hadn't been silently hacking the system I wouldn't have noticed. I don't know much about the transactions. I only know they're going to one source, I'm not sure who though. Do you think it's a take over attempt?" Ryan eyed the screen before him.

"I know Kaiba has more interests in the company than would allow for a take over. I wonder why someone would attempt to topple him. This wouldn't be the way to do it." She pulled the laptop closer to her and began typing away furiously.

"It makes no sense. There isn't enough to buy to put a dent in his holdings. Whoever is doing this has ulterior motives, not an urge to oust him." She looked at Ryan.

"I didn't think it made sense either, but I figured I would show it to you anyway. Do you want me to try and find out who is doing the purchasing? It will take some time and a bit of effort, but I could figure it out."

She smiled at him, "You would help Kaiba after everything that's happened?"

"No," he answered, "I'll do it for you, I care about what happens to you. If someone is after him, at this point they're after you as well." He looked at her and smiled.

"Why don't you go pull on one of my shirts? You look like you're freezing in that slip you're wearing." He turned his attention back to the screen.

"It's not a slip, it's a dress." She answered indignantly. She stood and went towards the bedroom.

"Where did you get it 'Sluts are US'?!" He started laughing at the jest.

She shot him an angry look then closed the door.

She pulled on one of his button down shirts and then sat down on the bed. She pulled off her shoes and then rolled down the stockings. She wished he had a pair of sweats in her size. She laid down on the bed, thinking of how she had originally planned for this night to end and smiled at the way it had actually gone. She had her best friend back. She yawned, then stretched.

Ryan went to check on her a few minutes later only to discover Iolite snuggled up in a fetal position, in the dead center of his bed. He sighed and leaned against the doorframe, he had always wanted her in his bed. _Funny how sometimes you have to be more specific when you make wishes._

* * *

Kaiba sat alone in his room working on his computer. He had gotten a few things accomplished during the time he had been away. He also noticed his wife had been quite busy as well, Cathway had been swallowing up interests in several companies. She had them rerouted so it appeared to be several entities, but if one knew how and where to look it was all traceable to Cathway. He smiled, she knew what she was doing. She was dangerous, holding a tiger by the tail usually was.

"So Highness, what are you doing? What do you hope to gain? What is your ultimate plan?"

He continued with checking her e-mail, noting that Ryan still wrote several times a day. It was maddening that he would spend so much time on another man's wife. Each letter apologized and tried to make amends. Kaiba was sick of it all. He wondered if Ryan was breaking through. Would sweet words make her fall into Ryan's arms?

_I know you Highness. An apology won't be enough. He ousted you to your 'enemy' and I don't think you're that forgiving. I have a feeling you'll want to be vindicated. How will you go after him? How will you come after me? I know you have to be bloody furious by now, but I can't seem to put my mind at ease with your new title yet. If you are Cathway why didn't you destroy me yet, and given the chance would you still? Are you true to me? Can I ever turn my back to you? Or must I sleep with one eye open..._

* * *

Ryan slept on the couch until he heard a loud banging on the door.

"Just a minute," he shouted, trying to gather his wits.

The pounding was relentless and without thinking he opened the door. He was thrown back as the person on the other side slammed his way in.

"What the hell have you done with her?!" A very irate Raine shouted at Ryan. Crossing the room, in pursuit of Iolite's former suitor.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, still trying to pull himself together, backing away at the anger in Raine's face.

Raine grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into a wall. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't snap your worthless neck!"

Ryan was clawing at the hands that were now cutting off his oxygen supply.

"She's married Ryan and for all intents and purposes she must stay married. Do you know what Kaiba will do when he finds out you had his wife come here in the middle of the night?!"

Noticing how Ryan was beginning to cease fighting Raine released him, Ryan crumpled to all fours on the ground and tried taking several breaths.

"Now," Rained growled, "where the hell is she?"

The bedroom door slowly opened, "What's going on out here?" A very sleepy Iolite groaned.

Raine almost had a heart attack as he took his charge in. Her eyes snapped open wide when she saw Raine standing there, staring at her.

"How?" She managed, before Raine lit into her.

"Tea came back to the house a few hours after she dropped you off here. She was hoping that you would be home by then. When you weren't she informed me of your tryst. She was worried, but I'm not--I'm livid." He looked her up and down, noting that she was wearing Ryan's shirt, the top few buttons were undone, she was exiting his bedroom and she looked like she had just been rolled in the hay. He looked at Ryan who was in a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. Had he just pulled it on when the knocking started?

Iolite slowly realized what Raine was forming in his mind.

"Wait," she began, "I can explain."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't call Kaiba right now and get him over here."

"You know where he is?!" She raced over to the man, "how long have you known? I should be furious with you, why haven't you told me?"

She stopped when she saw how angry Raine still looked. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at her.

"You care about where he is even as you stand here in another man's clothes after sleeping in another's bed?!" Raine wanted to strangle her, she had screwed up so many times, but this was the biggest.

Slowly she tugged the shirt over her head.

"I put his shirt on because I was cold. Yes, I slept here, but I did that alone. He slept out here." She looked over at Ryan, then back at Raine. "I might have come here with the intentions of being unfaithful, but I lacked the resolve to go through with my plan."

Raine looked at the girl, she never lied to him and he hoped like hell that she wasn't starting now.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, but it was worth a few gray hairs of yours to put this to rest. Ryan is my friend, nothing more. Kaiba is my husband, even though he won't have me." She gazed at the floor, "I'm hanging by a thread Raine," she whispered, looking up at him, "will you be the scissors?"

A/N: I thought about making her sleep with Ryan, but I think that would be unforgivable. I hope you all agree that it couldn't happen that way. Kaiba's ego would only allow so much leverage and he has enough to chew on with her company. Thank you all for reviewing!

WhitejellO: I'm glad you liked the descriptions. I added a few fluffy chapters in there and failed to mention the danger that she is always in. I'm sorry I neglected the bad guys and concentrated on just romance. I'm a stickler for romance (major flaw). I wanted Mortimer to be horrible, thanks to you I know it worked. So, now I have a few things to sort out in this story...I like levels and turmoil. Thanks, as always, for your review. Oh, and now I'm getting e-mail alerts and all that stuff...I guess it corrected itself. It was driving me crazy for a bit there.

Frosty: I think I'm all better now on FanFic. FINALLY!!! I was pulling my hair out for a bit there. At one point I couldn't access document manager and then was told I had no stories posted. Today it is joyously corrected! Yipee! Now, onto the story...I'm glad I gave insight into her background. I want the readers to know something is going that the main characters don't know about. I won't give away too much, because it has to unfold naturally. I thank you for the quality remark, I strive for it. PS-when are the twins coming?!

Solo-girl: I hope you aren't annoyed that she was faithful. I toyed with her going the other way, but then realized how it would permanently destroy trust. Now she has to convince Raine, Tea and Mai that she did nothing...oh the webs we weave...lol I'm glad you don't like her brothers, they will quickly get worse (promise). Trading spaces wantabe? I love that! Too funny...lol

Tenshi: He saved his girlfriend once already...by marrying her...now he has to save his wife...or will he? How far will Kaiba carry a grudge?

Sarah: Sorry this took a bit longer than I had wanted. I hope you liked it, at least it answers a few questions. The next chapter will be a killer I promise! Thanks for reviewing!


	22. The FaceOff

A/N: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, only my plot and characters...Sadly, this might be my last update until after 10/27...I might be able to squeak one more in before the 17, I'll factor in the reviews and my time...so, read and review...

Chapter 22

"I don't know what to think of this mess Princess, but if you give your word I will believe you. You've never lied to me before, but tonight you deceived me and I won't put up with that ever again." Raine looked her over, then turned his attention to Ryan. "You are to keep your distance from Iolite. This little crush of yours ends now. She's married and right now her husband is already mad. There is no need for you to pour gasoline on a raging fire."

Iolite and Ryan looked at one another, a silent agreement passed between the two.

"You have a minute to say your good byes and then we head back to the mansion." Raine left the room and waited in the hall.

Iolite rushed over to Ryan, "he didn't hurt you did he?" He could see the concern in her deep blue eyes.

"I'll be fine, just keep out of trouble, Raine is right, you need Kaiba to protect you and with me in the picture he might go ballistic. We'll keep writing, I'll send a new code to you in case we've been discovered. I'll keep researching the KC shares."

She hugged him, he was slow to respond, and knowing she was in love with someone else changed so many things.

"What would I ever do without you?" She smiled at him.

"You'll never have to find out Io." He led her to the door and kissed her forehead. "I'll be online later, we'll chat then."

She kissed his cheek and then disappeared out the door.

* * *

"I suppose you don't believe me completely do you?" She asked Raine, keeping her eyes focused out the window, not wishing to see his reaction to her question. She knew she couldn't handle it if he thought she was a liar. 

"I trust your word Princess, though your tactics are horrible. I think you had evil intentions, and I don't like how you involved your new friends. You better stop being vindictive and start realizing how perilous your situation is." It felt like a scolding.

She sighed and sank deeper into the seat. Raine had come on his own, making up an excuse, saying he was going to pick up Mai and bring her over. Mai was instructed to stay in the room and open the door to no one. Raine had told the staff that Iolite had a terrible headache and was to be left alone.

Raine felt terrible that he had to help cover the deception, but if Kaiba got wind of his new wife, a girl he already had trust issues with, meeting up with her ex in the middle of the night he'd hit the roof. So, he quietly snuck Iolite back into her room where Mai was ready to pounce on her. Tea, sat there waiting as well. The two were very annoyed they had been used under false pretenses. They pretty much figured out her whole scheme, knowing that Tea had dropped her off to meet with another man, other than Kaiba.

Iolite's tears were the only things that saved her. She explained how she had her sights set on revenge against the men, but that her feelings towards Seto prevented her from committing the ultimate sin.

"It's funny," she scoffed, "I thought I was quick, but I guess I'm not that bright after all huh? I mean, here I am, the last to realize that I want him. Now I guess that no longer matters seeing as he doesn't want me."

Instead of yelling at her, they comforted her. A stranger in a strange place with no one to rely on but herself, her world was torn in half and her savior had abandoned her. She was in desperate straits and the two girls hoped they could at least, for the moment, make her feel better.

After awhile they started talking about other things, trying to turn her attention away from Seto Kaiba and her horrible predicament. She laughed when Tea told her about how Yami had saved her from having to date some random guy and how it had all come about from a dance game. Mai told her about how Joey's card had been swiped at Pegasus's mansion and how she had saved him with her entry card. It was then, Mai confessed, that she knew she was falling for him.

She told them about Ryan, some of their adventures and sighed. She wanted to have some stories about Kaiba and told them as much.

"Did you know you liked him when he kissed you for the first time?" Tea asked.

"Actually," she giggled, "I slapped him, I think I drew blood."

She told them of their few liaisons. They both listened and smirked. She told them about him telling her how she couldn't kiss. Then she smiled when she explained how he was kind enough to offer instructions. The three were so wrapped up in their 'boy talk' that they almost disregarded the knock at the door.

"Come in!" Iolite called out.

"This came for you Iolite," Karen, one of the maids said, smiling, she was thrilled that the princess was actually enjoying herself. "It's special delivery."

She stood there while Iolite ripped open the envelope, they were all hoping it was from a certain CEO. They room grew deathly quiet as Iolite's color drained and her hands started to shake.

"It's my brother," she began, in a very broken voice. "I've been invited to an inaugural ball in his honor this coming weekend. I have to meet with him as well."

The maid knew her plight as did her friends.

She was filled with an overwhelming dread, her days here, in comfort with friends and freedom were now numbered. Knowing that her sick, twisted brothers were near was bad, having to face them was worse.

_I won't cry, I can't cry. I have to face this, I knew I would have to, eventually, I couldn't run forever. I only wish it didn't have to be this soon. I need more time here, with Mokuba's smiles, Kaiba's scowls and Seto's kisses. I need to work things out here, I need to talk to Kaiba. I have to convince him that I was doing no harm. I'm being so selfish, I keep thinking of what I need...Kaiba needs my absence, maybe to make him realize I'm not the horrible person he believes I am. I have to go. I'll let him get on with his life, I'll rid him of his burden. I'll let him go, even though I want him more than anything. I'll forget him someday...when I die._

That night she sat at her computer and typed to Ryan, telling him everything. How she would have to go to the embassy at week's end for the ball. He begged her not to, but she explained that it was her duty. She really had no choice. She would go, with her head held high, not begging for mercy, she would yield nothing to the monsters she was related to. She would never show weakness, she would face her fate.

Ryan quickly called Raine after she signed off.

"You know she's walking headlong into the lion's den don't you?" He bellowed at Raine.

"I'll be there, at her side at all times and I won't be her sole protector." Raine replied, trying to sound cool, but knowing that going there meant never leaving.

"You're fine with this?" Ryan raged. "Where the hell is that husband of hers? I thought he was suppose to protect her! If she goes there without him her marriage would be annulled, Aron is simply looking for an excuse to drag her home. Seto's absence will speak volumes...you have to do something!" Ryan was on the verge of a breakdown.

"What would you have me do?" Raine asked, defeat clear in his own voice.

"Take me to Seto Kaiba, let me plead her case."

"I can't do that." Raine replied weakly.

"You'd rather see her destroyed than go against Kaiba's wishes?!" Ryan was more than furious with the whole situation. How could he shrug off Iolite's only chance?

"Can you be ready in an hour?" Raine asked, regretting that he would go back on his word to Seto Kaiba, but this was an emergency wasn't it?

Raine contacted Roland, who was with Kaiba. Roland was sympathetic, he also knew how at a loss Kaiba was without Iolite. He had been working, but his sleeping and eating patterns were even worse than usual. Another matter that disturbed him was that Kaiba's nose was stuck in a book that he just kept reading over and over. Roland shrugged, this was bound to come to a head and now hell would break loose.

* * *

Kaiba was busy with his laptop, checking up on his wife again. Funny, Ryan was no longer writing to her. That was odd, days and days of begging forgiveness and suddenly silence. He thudded his fingers on his desk. What was she up to? She was still gathering ammunition against several companies, but nothing note worthy. He wondered how she was doing. Mokuba told him about their late night reading sessions, how she played board games with him every evening, how she wandered the gardens at night. He wanted to go home and try to start over, but she didn't need him there, her life had continued without him. If anything, he mused, it seemed she was happier without him there. Her friends visited everyday, if he was there he doubted they would come over. He knew they knew he abhorred their presence. 

"Mister Kaiba sir," Roland opened his door slightly after knocking, "There is someone here to see you."

Kaiba looked up from his computer screen. Who was here? No one knew he was here, he had no scheduled appointments, his stomach knotted...it couldn't be it? What would he say? He stood up, anticipating his wife entering his office, who actually did caused the CEO's blood to boil.

A/N: What do you think? I'm beginning to like cliffhangers...their first meeting went _well_, I wonder if the second will be just as spectacular. If she would have come, I wonder what his reaction would have been. I thought of going there, but liked the tension this built better. PLEASE review...let me know if you're enjoying this story. Thanks! For those of you who are faithful reviewers...I can't thank you enough!!!

Frosty: I soooo wanted her to go through with it, but could you cheat on Kaiba? She has feelings for him and as much as she wanted revenge her heart couldn't jeopardize the results. It would have been a vastly different story. I'm so happy to be a godmother to the twins! Thank you for all your wonderful compliments and comments. Your criticisms and comments have made me much better at this, so Iolite owes a bit to you ya know? I know I had typos in my Serenity/Seto fic (I blame the Nyquil and the 3am hour), but I'm correcting them. Anyhow, give me your input. Can't wait to read your new additions, loved the first twin btw...

Blackcoat: Have I got you running in circles with all my plots? I hope not. I just like having lots of possibilities. Questions will start being answered in the next chapter when Iolite has to face her evil brothers. As for Kaiba's company, that may have to wait for future chapters. Glad you're continuing to enjoy!

Tenshi: Kaiba is the grudge master I think...Yugi-King of Games...Kaiba-King of Grudges... I think he'll relent at some point, or I could be wrong. Will he save his wife, or will Ryan's arrival annoy him to the point where he washes his hands of her? Forever is a really long time...kind of a lonely state as well.

Mariks1andonly: thanks for the review!

Solo-girl: I'm so thrilled that you liked how I pulled the whole 'Raine thing' off. That took careful planning. I wanted it to seem effortless, like it just fit. I'm glad it worked. I couldn't do the 'ultimate' betrayal. I'm glad you're siding with her character, it would have been easy for her to give in, but then when isn't revenge a sweet temptation? You are too perceptive, yes it was a Phantom thing. I have a love for that play (I've seen it 5 times on Broadway) and I can't wait to see what they've done with it when the movie comes out in December. I should give you a prize for that guess! Aron is coming up next, his room scene will appear soon after...

WhitejellO: She explained, but still needs to explain to Kaiba, but now he has to explain as well. I'm getting a headache from all my loose ends. I hope I can keep it all straight! I don't know about the happy ending thing, I may need a part two to continue this story. I just never seem to have problems coming up with ideas for this story. I couldn't make Ryan mean, I need him to foil Kaiba...I'm glad his admit of defeat gave him character, some people hated him for betraying her, now he has to redeem himself and that admit was a start. Thanks for reviewing as always! What did you think of the debate last night? Who do you think won, I have a few comments...I know I laughed a few times, how about you? It was sad about Christopher Reeve...last night's episode of Smallville was dedicated to him-fitting tribute.


	23. The Gauntlet's Down

A/N: I'm baaaaaaaack...nope, don't own Yu-gi-oh anymore now than I did before...Thanks for all the splendid reviews...I'll do my part-writing, and I appreciate you all reviewing (it's the only way I know I'm doing my job well).

Chapter 23

**_Thursday_**

Seto Kaiba was enraged when he laid eyes on the man standing before him, adding to his irritation was the fact that Raine was standing beside Ryan. Cold, calculating blue eyes locked on him, in Kaiba's mind, Ryan was an adversary. Could Raine be a traitor?

"How dare you show your face in my presence," Kaiba spat at the man.

Ryan was fuming silently. He quashed the urge to attack the conniving vermin glaring at him. What the hell Iolite saw in this snake he had no idea.

"Trust me Seto Kaiba, I want to be here even less than you want to have me here. If it weren't for Iolite I would simply give up on your sorry, aloof ass and wash my hands of you." Ryan put on an air of superiority, which only served to incense Kaiba further.

"Stay the hell away from my wife!" Kaiba swiftly moved around his desk and attempted to approach the man who was challenging him. Roland quickly appeared at his side, while Raine half-stepped in front of Ryan. Kaiba looked from man to man, not completely understanding what was happening.

"Someone has to stay near her, seeing as you've all but discarded her as so much trash." Ryan spat.

"So," Kaiba's eyes narrowed, "You've decided to what, play nurse maid? Or bed warmer?"

Ryan's lips formed a snarling smile, he had promised Raine and Roland that he would maintain a calm, cool, exterior, but with each insult he was weakening. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around Kaiba's lecherous throat and strangle the life out of him.

"Would you care if I warmed her bed? At the distance you're keeping you'll freeze her heart."

"Once again," Kaiba took an aggressive step forward, "Who the hell do you think you are? She's my wife and my concern! If I catch you near her so help me..."

"You'd never know if I was near her, seeing as you've distanced yourself from her. Why did you marry her anyway? Answer truthfully Seto Kaiba, I have an inside track and if you lie I intend to ruin you in her eyes permanently." There was deadly venom in his voice.

Kaiba weighed the comment. What exactly did Ryan know? Kaiba folded his arms defensively across his chest and glared at Ryan. He was always a skillful tactician, but he was fumbling. He wasn't sure what type of threat was being levied against him. What information did Ryan possess?

"Why do you think?" Kaiba asked sarcastically. He would counter with questions until he was sure what Ryan's angle was.

He smirked at the CEO, he was sure he had rattled his cage. Ryan was about to commit the ultimate sin, so he had to be sure it wasn't just a hunch he had.

"I won't play games, answer me." Ryan remained steadfast.

Kaiba looked at him, no one demanded anything from Seto Kaiba, and now it was time to teach him that lesson. Kaiba took another step forward and noticed both Raine and Roland were closing in. Could they be on Ryan's side?

"I don't give in to demands, especially from a man such as yourself." Kaiba looked down his nose at Ryan.

"Then I'll up the price of poker." Ryan surveyed Kaiba's expression, "you tell me why and I'll tell you how to save her."

* * *

**_Saturday_**

Iolite surveyed herself in the mirror. She looked her part, the perfect princess. Her dress was made of pure silk in a shade of deep amethyst, which caught subtle flecks of color in her otherwise deep blue eyes. The gown was strapless with a plunging waistline, which produced cascades of fabric, which pooled around her ankles. Mai had pulled her hair into a French twist, releasing only two long curling tendrils to frame either side of her angelic face. How well dressed she was for her own execution.

"Promise me you won't leave Mokuba's side," she reminded Tea once again.

"I promise not to let him out of my sight." Tea knew she and Mai would have to be in charge of keeping Mokuba in the mansion and away from the embassy. Iolite was afraid the small Kaiba would try something rash. Talk had spread through the mansion about her 'situation' and poor Mokuba had heard the gossip. Even though his brother may not care, Iolite knew Mokuba did and because of that she also knew there was a chance for him to place himself in danger.

"Read to him, play games, do anything, but keep him here. Oh, and don't play hide and seek." Iolite tried to joke. She smiled bravely; knowing when she said good-bye to her friends tonight it would be for the last time.

"Hopefully, once I'm gone, Kaiba will come home and life will return to normal here." She closed her eyes tightly as she realized she was spending her last moments of freedom in a place she had once regarded as her prison. How ironic.

"I'm sure things will turn out well," Tea tried, but could barely convince herself let alone her friend.

Iolite smiled at Tea. "I wish I had your optimism, but you have no idea what monsters my brothers are. Once I walk into the embassy, all hope is checked at the door."

"Then why go?" Mai asked.

"I would rather go with dignity. If I don't go I know I'll be dragged away like a child for disobeying my _king's_ edict." She nearly choked on the words.

"To hell with dignity," Mai growled, "I say let him come after you, have him come to your turf. Kaiba Corp. will protect you, what will you prove by walking into the lion's den?!"

"I will keep my pride. I'll walk into the embassy with my head held high. He hasn't won the war, only the first battle." Iolite took a deep ragged breath. She had left Ryan specific instructions on what to do after the night was over. She knew that once she was brought home to Valkaria there would be no way she could continue taking down the companies that needed to be corrupted. Ryan would know what to do and if she could hold off her brothers and their foul allies she could, possibly, escape the fate her brothers had planned. This was plan "Z", and it was a long shot at best. Her personal 'Hail Mary', except this wasn't football...

There was a knock at the bedroom door. Raine entered after she called out an invitation.

"The limo awaits Princess, though I must say I think this is a wretched idea."

"It's out of our hands Raine, tonight my marriage will be declared void due to Kaiba's abandonment and I will be at the mercy of my brothers. Why prolong the inevitable?"

She was almost showing some fear, but quickly hid it behind her royal mask.

"If I don't go tonight, I'm sure they'll show up here in the morning with a deportation order. I don't want that embarrassment in front of Mokuba. Let me do this to spare him, he doesn't need to be exposed to that." Her eyes dropped and Raine's heart broke for her.

"I'm ready." Her resolve was evident in her voice.

* * *

"I want to know when she arrives." Aron smirked at his assistant.

"Yes Your Majesty sir," the girls winced. She prayed that iolite would run, that the rumors that her marriage being fake were just Aron was like a shark and Iolite's blood laced the waters. Tonight he would attain his pawn, and with her in his clutches he would gain more momentum and more funding. His eyes glazed over when he thought of Kaiba Corp. being toppled by his little sister. Once Mortimer gained control of the vast corporation the money would flow like water.

He turned his attention back to his meek assistant. "What are you standing around here for?" He growled at her, "shouldn't you be greeting our arriving guests? I wouldn't want our guest of honor to arrive without a proper salutation." The girl stumbled out of the room, terrified of angering her boss. She had outward bruises that spoke of his cruelty, but her mental scars were far worse. Wincing was a way of life, as was being scared of the slightest noise in the dark. She shuddered as she approached the growing crowd of people. She shook her head, not understanding why so many of the idiots in the room turned a blind eye on Aron's maniacal side.

It was an hour into the inaugural ball when a deep hush fell over the crowd. All eyes turned to the entrance from the foyer into the main ballroom. She walked in, unescorted, with three guards surrounding her. Raine was at her side, as usual, and two of Kaiba's best security men guarded her back. She was safe, for the moment, but her eyes constantly scanned the room looking for the dangers that lurked within. Somewhere in this holding her brothers were crouching, waiting to pounce on her and tear her apart. Aron was deadly and Simon was in training to be just as evil.

She forced a shudder to end before it began. Regally she sauntered into the room smiling briefly at the few faces she was familiar with, turning a cold shoulder to those who were threats. She lingered in conversation with a few business allies, all of which asked about her boss-Cathway. She also began to notice how no one brought up her new husband, this fact chilled her, it was as if Seto Kaiba's existence wasn't significant. The room began to spin as the realization hit her-these people knew her marriage was a ploy and she would be returning to her role in the monarchy-it had already been decided.

She excused herself and slowly moved towards the balcony, with any luck they were high enough up that a fall, deliberate or not, would cause instant death.

_This isn't surrendering, it's merely a retreat and regroup. I have to get a handle on the situation at hand, figure out how to deal with it and then take action. I could go in there and speak of Kaiba as if we really did have a marriage, but without him here it would look fabricated. I could abdicate my title, I'd no longer be a threat if I did that, but it could later be contested if it's done under duress...this is duress...isn't it? It's bad enough that I'm having conversations in my own mind, and now, here I am waiting for answers to questions I'm asking myself._

She was gripping onto the banister so tightly that her knuckles were tuning white. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she tried to pull in a full breath of fresh night air. The crispness didn't comfort like it usually did, the dark seemed an enemy now. Hiding in the shadows was no longer an option, her brothers had ousted her and it was as if a spotlight was cast upon her at this despicably decadent affair. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the man sneaking up behind her.

Mortimer could hardly believe his luck when he spotted his prey sneak out onto the balcony without her guards. They had perched themselves at the doors, protecting her from assailants that would follow, but they didn't think of those who were already lying in wait. He watched the fabric of her dress hug her curves, heard her ragged sighs, he could smell her fear and he could feel his excitement growing. Slowly he stalked her, she was so wrapped in her own thoughts that he was able to wrap his arms around her, capturing each of her wrists with his hands.

"Have you missed me my love?" He purred against her ear, she stiffened in his arms, but didn't pull away.

"Get your filthy slimy paws off me you vile monster," she hissed. Screaming would draw unwanted attention and she knew she could handle this menace.

He pressed his hips against her backside as he pulled her closer, careful not to release her hands, he had to keep her as still as possible, he needed no more scars from this lovely creature.

"Soon you will be forced to come to me." His voice rasped against her neck.

"Soon you will become a necrophiliac, humping a corpse because that's about the only way I'd allow your contemptible touch...now I warn you one last time to unhand me...sir." Her voice was threatening, however, he felt he still had the upper hand. Raine was surveying the ballroom and her stupid guards were watching a doorway, she was completely at his mercy.

She finally realized he had no intention of letting go, so she deftly brought her heel down hard on his smallest toes. She used such force she was sure she had at least broken one or two. When he released her and bent to tend to his foot she brought her knee up swiftly, connecting with his nose and mouth roughly, producing and instant spray of blood.

"You bitch!" He garbled as he grabbed for his handkerchief to stop the bleeding.

"Heed my words you troll-the next time you touch me your testicles will pay a dear price and no surgeon will be able to set you to right." She store down at the impish monster who was sniveling at her feet.

"Well, well, well Princess I see you still know how to put up quite a fight." A warm familiar male voice came from behind her. She turned and scrutinized the man now standing before her, it took a second for her lips to go from a snarl to a smile as the blood in her veins thawed.

"And just what are you doing here?" She folded her arms across her chest. She no longer cared about Mortimer, only about him...

A/N: Hey I'm back...sorta. Did you all miss my obsessively quick updates? I still have lots of schoolwork to do, but I'll update my stories as often as I can. Thank you all for reviewing! All of you are too wonderful and I'm soooo inspired by you all! You make me wanna skip the homework and stuff and simply write my life away!

Frosty: I hope everything is fine with you... I hope I didn't rush this chapter, I wanted to get it out there, I've been neglecting this for schoolwork, mostly because I keep doing it the other way around. You know, write stories, neglect term work...I hope I achieved quality. Pregnancy like writing a story...interesting comparison...I think I'll join a convent...jk...I hope you update soon. I know you have a lot going on, but I do miss your stories. Hope you liked this chapter!

Mariks1andonly: thanks as always!

SetoLover: I totally understand...been quite sick and busy myself. Life happens right?! I'm glad I'm challenging you (kinda challenging myself as well with all the twists I'm putting in I'm pulling my hair out!) Hope I can keep it all straight and together! Thanks for reviewing...I've missed ya!

WhitejellO: I love that line too, if I don't say so myself! It was scary...you made perfect sense. Communication would so help here, but communication does not a good drama make.

Kerry does have pipe dreams (he knows what he wants to achieve, but never mentions how he'll get there), he married up TWICE, and my boyfriend has me in stitches saying "That's just wrong..." Kerry's favorite ad line. I get to vote this year, which is cool. Florida is a key state so this should be interesting. Both men are down here constantly. If it isn't one it's the other and if it's not them it's their running mates!!! I HATE GRID LOCK!!! You're right about the troops supporting Bush-if they are willing to die for him and fear Kerry that sure as heck says volumes. Are you planning on pursuing politics, you have such strong views you'd make an awesome campaign manager! I'm a Bush supporter-he had to be President during the darkest time in our history and I think he's done a damn fine job. This coming from a former New Yorker who was there when the Towers fell. Not many Presidents have had to deal with the tragedies he has had to and, he may not smell like roses, but he hasn't wavered either. Ok, now I'm ranting...thanks for the review (as always...love reading your reviews and opinions...) PS- I hardly ever use the word cool...but it so applies to you...

Solo-girl: Phantom on Broadway is an experience like no other. If you ever have the chance to see a Broadway play see that one. Yes movie in December-first in line right here! I decided to make her do the bone breaking, she needs rescuing, but she's not a shrinking violet (I just hate that saying-almost as bad a 'wall-flower'). I couldn't go into too much detail about the meeting, I hate spoiling it all, and I know I could easily do just that. Sorry 'bout the baseball comment I missed. I'm clueless about baseball (only that a local comedian called the Red Sox a cockroach that wouldn't die) I'm a hockey fan myself...

Tenshi: I did follow up her nightmare...he betrayed Iolite's identity to Seto. Iolite in that dream basically changed her mind from Ryan to Seto-unconsciously discovering what her heart wanted and all... He is a good guy, most of the time anyway...

Sarah: I'm glad you liked that chapter, hope this didn't disappoint! Sorry she couldn't show up on his doorstep, but that's what had to happen...all will be revealed soon...

Ayala: (**blushes**) Awww shucks...thank you so much! I just hope I can keep up the good work in your eyes. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, thank you for the review and the major ego boost! You're too kind!

SirisAnkh: I'm glad you're hooked...hope I can keep your interest...before I lose my mind trying to keep up with all my plot lines.

Jenny116cn: I can't do mushy fairy tales, I'll leave that to Disney, I prefer roller coasters! Anyway I'm glad you like the story and thank you so very much for reviewing! That's soooo awesome that your friend told you to read this story what flattery! You made my night. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long...


	24. Never Kneel

A/N: Yu-gi-oh is not mine...too bad for me...

Chapter 24

Iolite smiled at the man standing, now before her. "What are you doing here?"

He simply shrugged, "I came to...rescue you." He looked at Mortimer crouched on the floor, blood seeping through the handkerchief he clutched to his probable broken nose.

She let a giggle escape, "From him?! What a joke. You didn't think I could swat an insect? I've had to deal with his crap before, I'm surprised he forgot how easily I can inflict pain."

Mortimer rose to his feet, looking very pathetic. He knew this was just the beginning of a very long evening for the Princess. There was still Aron who she would have to deal with. Mortimer was also ready to deal out harsh consequences. She would pay for his pain with her own. Slowly, he skulked away still tasting the blood that ran down his throat.

"I'm hardly afraid of Robert Mortimer. He's a joke, the only reason my siblings keep him around is his wallet." She moved closer to the stairs that led to the gardens below. Silently she motioned for Ryan to follow, he did willingly. Quickly they made their way down the steps and into the shadows of the foliage.

"You know it's dangerous for you to be here, it's well known you are on my side not Aron's or Simon's." She searched his face, thankful for his support, but afraid for his well being in the same breath. He had every right to be here, he had royal blood flowing through his veins. She knew her father had wanted a marriage between them, but now the only man she could think of was an intense blue-eyed dragon. _After all you've done I still want you. Am I a masochist? All the things that might have been now haunt me. I wish I had more time to explain everything, but you never gave me a chance. _

"I knew you would need a friend here tonight, personally I think it's suicide for you to even be in this damned place. Why did you come?"

"It wouldn't end if I didn't. Do you think if I refused the invitation Aron would give up? He would simply switch tactics and hunt me down in other ways." Her eyes left his face, searching for a focal point somewhere over his shoulder. "I couldn't stand for it if he used someone I cared about to take vengeance on me."

"You mean Seto Kaiba." Ryan clenched his jaw, he wondered if he should tell her...

"I mean any of my friends, especially Mokuba Kaiba. He's too young and his life has been too intense already. He needs to be a little boy, he doesn't need any more drama."

"So, you're doing this to protect the young Kaiba brother?" He placed his hands on her upper arms, compelling her to look at him. "Your noble gesture may have cost you everything-your freedom, your identity and your mind. Once Aron has you he'll never let you go. Heaven only knows what that devil will make you do."

She stopped him by placing a finger on his lips. "Whatever happens you have to keep your promise to me. Continue with the raids, once Aron and Simon's supporters are corrupt they will have no financial back up and slowly they will crumble. No matter what-you have to ruin them, they hold too much power over too many people and I fear this is the only way to topple them. I won't be able to do any damage once I'm under the monarchy's thumb."

"You're still thinking of the people of Valkaria?!" He sounded outraged, "what have they ever done for you? They could have stopped his coronation, thrown him over but they've sat there-complacently. Now you want to protect them? I'll help you, but only in the hopes of saving you...let them be damned by their own stupidity!"

She stroked his cheek with her fingertips in an effort to calm him. "They have no recourse. They'll have their chance to oust him if we can prove Aron is corrupt. He'll start embezzling once his friends' pockets run empty." She smiled, trying to give him strength, hoping he would relax and be a minor player tonight. His being here was dangerous to them both.

"It's not fair that you have to be a lamb for slaughter because of his greed."

"Life isn't fair Ryan, you should know that by now."

He had an urge to kiss her, but resisted. He turned away.

"I'm sure Aron is looking for me, I better get this started. Please stay safe. The wheels of fate have already decided my destiny. I need you to stop what can be stopped, this is in motion and I've already made peace with it. Go now before it's too late and save Valkaria...I'm already lost and there is nothing you can do about it." She looked back up at embassy looming above. "I better get back inside before I'm missed." She reached out and squeezed his shoulder, "leave now and fight tomorrow. You've been my best friend forever and your pain would only destroy what's left of my conviction."

She left him standing there, watching her ascend the steps. He had so much left to say to her, but couldn't find the words. He was in love with another man's wife. His heart ached. He loved her enough to let her go. The best of his dreams had fallen apart. He'd let her live or die on her own. Slowly he made his way back up the steps.

As soon as she entered the ballroom Aron's timid assistant raced over to her. The poor girl would probably pass out if you said 'boo' to her. Her brother must have reached a new level of demention with this one. Her hollow cheeks, pale skin and trembling frame were pathetic.

"His Majesty, the King, would like to see you now, Your Royal Highness." She completed a somewhat shaky bow before Iolite. She smiled warmly at the girl, it wasn't her fault that Aron was tyrannical.

"Where is he?" Iolite asked, trying to maintain her calm exterior.

"Follow me."

The girl led her through the crowd towards the foyer. Kaiba's guards were in tow and soon Raine followed the foursome. He walked beside his charge fully intending to stay by her side. Iolite knew Raine's effort was futile, her brother always hated Raine and would never allow him to be an audience to his antics. She didn't say a word for fear that she would break if he tried to soothe her. All too soon they arrived at a set of doors. How amusing, she thought, they looked just like the doors that led into Kaiba's bedroom. How she wished she were home with Mokuba...

The frail girl knocked softly on the door and a very large, intimidating guard answered.

"The Princess is to enter unescorted." The guard looked down at Raine, "no arguments."

Iolite took a steadying breath then looked at Raine, "I'll be fine, just stay out here and wait for me. You, above all, know I can handle myself." She smiled at him, showing poise she backed away from her most loyal protector and entered the room.

The library, which Aron had changed into his office, was lavishly decorated with expensive artwork and furniture, she was sure it all had cost a fortune. He was already living well out of his range, she noted with a look of utter disgust. The monarchy was well off, but not this prosperous. Money was needed for the people, not for massive creature comforts. She wondered which of Aron's friends had purchased the Rembrandt for him. Maybe she would be sold to the highest bidder, or highest art gatherer. She shook her head, it really wasn't a laughing matter.

Aron was sitting behind a massive antique desk, leaning into his high backed chair, arms folded across his chest. He was ready for battle. She scanned the room, was he the only one here, or was Simon lurking in the shadows? She was left to wonder as he motioned her towards the chair in front of him. She could now relate to the mouse that gets fed to a snake. _First, show no fear..._

"I would rather stand, thank you." She stood before him; chin high, eyes hard, taking a defensive stance.

"I insist you have a seat." He smirked at her, giving her a direct order as King demanded her compliance.

"I don't want to, thank you anyway."

He could hardly believe her gall. "You will sit because I tell you to, or I will have you assisted." His eyes narrowed, his patience was ebbing. He had to establish the upper hand quickly, he had to force her to yield to his command.

"Then do your worst Aron, as if I could stop you." The defiance in her eyes was hot and tangible. She folded her arms across her chest, she was daring his retribution.

He stood, and then walked around the desk to stand before her.

"This is not how I wanted things to start," he stated blankly through semi-clenched teeth. "I had envisioned a warm reunion with my...beloved sister."

She resisted the urge to back away from him, that move would show frailty.

"Beloved? You can't be serious."

He sneered at her, "Very well...sister, I will explain to you what will now occur. I would rather have your cooperation, but my edicts will be done." He waited to see if she would flinch, but she didn't. No terror, no trepidation no panic in her deep blue eyes, half the fun would have been to see her fear. He took another step closer.

"Your marriage to Seto Kaiba will be annulled, fighting this would be useless seeing as he has abandoned you, my guess is he grew annoyed with your pride. Men don't like strong women, they want women who shrink and obey. A challenge is not fun for long. Your smugness is about to be extinguished." He grabbed her chin roughly, "you will then hack into Kaiba Corp. and set a virus to work. It will destroy the database and leave him open for raid. Who better to then complete the raid than Cathway?"

Her eyes opened wide in fear, then flashed hot with fury.

"I will never hack into Kaiba Corp. for you." She wasn't backing down, "you seem to think you're omnipotent. Well, if you want Kaiba Corp. infected with a virus and raided-you do it!" She slapped his hand away from her face. She was rewarded with a backhanded slap across the face that sent her reeling, but she didn't fall to her knees.

"What a man you are Aron," she could taste the blood in her mouth. "You know nothing but violence and control. How is it possible that we share DNA? You don't take after either of our parents. What a disappointment you are to our Father, I'm just thankful our Mother isn't around to see what a monster you are."

"Don't you ever say that slut would be let down by me, her treachery is legendary." That statement took her off guard, what did he mean? Before she had the chance to question his comment he continued his tirade, grabbing her by the nape of her neck.

"You still don't understand do you?" He shook his head slowly, almost as if he were mocking pity on her. "I own you now, we are not simply related-I am your King and your ruler."

She growled at him. "There is nothing you could do to make me betray my husband. Go ahead and take my life, do your worst, but I will not bend to your will Aron. You can have me, but not my mind, that is my own and my will is stronger than you hand."

He grabbed her shoulders and brought his face down, close to hers.

"You will obey me or death will look like a blessing," he warned.

She gathered up the saliva in her mouth and in a mighty act of courage, or stupidity, she spit it in his face. She was rewarded with another backslap that sent her grasping for the back of the chair. Aron circled his desk, wiping his face with his handkerchief.

"Fine, have it your way. It will be more fun for me to watch you break slowly."

He used his intercom to call someone in. Her face was on fire, the hits weren't as hard as she remembered, but they were painful and she was sure they would produce a bruise. She used her tongue to make sure none of her teeth were loose. Thankfully they were fine. Rubbing her cheek would show that she was in pain, so she couldn't allow herself that comfort.

The large guard who had escorted her in turned towards the door, in walked Mortimer. Iolite rolled her eyes heavenwards. "Twice in one night I get to enjoy your stench-lucky me."

The man practically snapped at her. She snickered at his limp as she snidely asked how his nose felt. The packing in his nostrils was already turning crimson. Mortimer passed her at an almost exaggerated distance. She whispered a curt 'imbecile' his way.

Aron was incensed! She was too much. Any other person, knowing how dangerous he was, would be cowering and begging for mercy. She, on the other hand, was laughing in his face. The urge to smack her again was almost overwhelming.

"Mortimer I have decided to grant you access to my sister. As soon as her marriage is annulled I will give my blessings to your union. If you decide not to marry her that's your prerogative, but the offer is there. She will also assist you, foremost, at bringing down Kaiba Corp.. Just think, with her inside knowledge you'll bring that conceited billionaire to his knees. It will all be yours."

Iolite's eyes drifted from one man to another, she was furious with them both.

"Forget it, Kaiba Corp. is sacred-there is nothing you can do to make me betray Kaiba. As for you Mortimer, I think you know that getting to me will be an impossible and very unpleasant task, besides, even if I agreed I'm not sure you're 'equipped' to handle an actual female...go back and pay for your whores psycho, that is the only way a woman would lay down for you." She folded her arms across her chest and turned her nose up.

That was the last straw, Aron surged from behind the desk and grabbed her upper arm, pulling her off balance, his other hand grabbed her throat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your worthless neck bitch!" He seethed into her ear.

At that moment the door slammed open. Aron's grip on Iolite released, she fell to the floor, grasping at her throat as she swallowed air in mighty gulps.

"What have we here?" Aron grinned evilly as he approached Kaiba, "Have you decided to reclaim your wife? Well, that time has come and gone, she's mine now to command as I please."

Kaiba strode into the room like a knight in shining Armour. There was determination in his face as well as disgust. His first thought was of Iolite's welfare, but he could not concern himself with that, if he thought about what she had been put through he would have shattered.

"I don't need to reclaim what already belongs to me you piece of filth. You call yourself King? You're worthless scum. Anyone who would use a woman with brutality isn't a man-what makes this worse is that she's your sister!" Kaiba's eyes nearly glowed red he was so angry. Aron took a step back, obviously afraid of the CEO's wrath. Kaiba walked over to Iolite and placed his hand before her. She gladly took it and stood. He stepped in front of her, shielding her from the horror that was her relative.

"This show of 'affection' makes no difference Seto Kaiba, your marriage is a farce. It will be annulled under my reign."

Kaiba sneered at the man, his eyes meeting Aron's challenge. "If you're referring to my so-called 'abandonment' of my wife there is a perfectly good explanation."

Kaiba studied the face of his wife, his hope was that she would trust him; if she didn't in the next few minutes all would be lost. She looked at him with those amazing eyes, eyes that haunted his sleeping and waking hours. His desperation for her had increased daily, how stupid he had been. He would try to explain later how he felt, but now was a frantic time. His only thought was saving her, she would hate him for what he was about to do, but consequences be damned...

A/N: I had to end on a cliffie here. The next chapter is already in the works. I know you were all trying to guess who the man was at the end of the last chapter. The clues were there and kudos to those who got it. Kaiba never called her anything but 'Highness', he's cold not warm and she'd have to be angry with him right? I mean if he abandoned you without allowing you to explain yourself wouldn't you be angry not smile? Anywho... I'm glad you're all enjoying and I hope you continue to read and please review...this story thrives on reviews!!! Thank you all.

Frosty: Update when you can...I know how life can happen. Unfortunately it keeps happening here. I recovered from bronchitis only to have my foot ripped open by a car door tonight. I swear my luck just plain sucks. Now I'll gimp for the next few days. The best was (as I'm standing in the parking lot bleeding profusely) my boyfriend said, "I thought the car door didn't sound right when you closed it." No kidding...my heel was in it! Anyway I'm ranting. I honestly try with the spelling errors and can't find them. Oh well, I never claimed to be perfect and yes I do post late at night, all my readers have my insomnia to thank for my quick updates. Well, you were right, just not at the right time...he came back later. Hope you liked this and as always thanks for your review and I'll wait patiently for your update.

WhitejellO: I'm just sitting here waiting for more poll results. This is so frustrating. Florida voting lines were tame where I am. I was in and out in 10 minutes; others in my county (Brevard) are still in line waiting to cast their vote (it's 11:20). ( It's now 12:00 and Bush took Florida...BEST DAY!!! OK, Florida is way better than New York!) New York was far more organized, voting here is a joke. I won't go in to it (that would take most of the night) however I am happy that at this point 79 percent in Brevard have voted so far! Awesome turn out! Did you know that Kerry is blaming Bush for the hurricanes in Florida? There are actual billboards stating that?! I almost fell off the chair when I saw that. Kerry must think we're all sitting in Florida with IQs of what...10?! Anyway, I'm running on and on here.

So, Mortimer was freaky huh? I'm glad I succeeded. What did you think of Aron? I tried to make him as evil as possible without putting horns on him. I also wanted to keep Iolite strong, hope I pulled that off as well. I have the next update almost ready to go...I'm on a roll with this story. It's still my favorite story to write. Yeah, I guess scholastic things are important too...Thank you ever too much for reviewing!!!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Thanks for reviewing!

Solo-girl: You guessed wisely. I was wondering how many would. You really hate Ryan huh? I bet you hate him even more after this chapter, and then just wait until the next one. Oh boy! Aron is a beast, I can't wait to hear what you think of him after this chapter! I love your reviews! I agree about the lock out, what a joke. This happened a few years ago as well, I vaguely remember it came down to the wire and then ran over and I think the playoffs ran into July. I was barely into it then so it's just a fuzzy memory. Naturally my fav team is up north...hockey seems unrealistic in a state that never gets colder than 50. Yes, still complaining that I was relocated to the dorky 'sunshine state'. I hope you enjoy the games in Providence. Total victory dance for your baseball team! Did you hear they're coming to Disney?! I voted Bush and hopefully he'll take Florida, I'm still watching and everything is still so in the air it's scary. All the northern states went Kerry, so I guess my vote did belong in the south...hopefully Bush will remain where he is for 4 more years. Who knows, when you can vote maybe things will change. Always remember that every vote counts! I was prepared to wait on line for 5 hours to cast mine, thankfully it was only 10 minutes, but I would have waited never the less!

Sarah: Did you guess? It was a cliffhanger with clues so I don't feel too evil. Did you like this chapter as much, especially now that Seto is back? Thank you for updating and hopefully the next will be up soon. Thanks!

Mariks1andonly: So sorry I disappointed you and made it Ryan, but I had to have Seto make a grand entrance. The knight in shining Armour. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks, as always, for reviewing!

BlackendHeart: I hurried! I will hurry again, hopefully, with the follow-up! Thanks for the review, glad you think it's great.

Victorprimis: I try to update ASAP. I don't like being left hanging, so I don't do that to my readers. Thank you so much for your compliments on this story. I'm trying to make it interesting so when I hear that someone like you, who prefers something else, enjoys this I get very psyched. It wasn't too bad of a cliffy...was it? Besides, the suspense only lasted a few days...thank you so very much for the review!

Dragon Master's Mistress: I understand busy, glad you're still luvin' it! I have missed you, but realize life can be hectic. Ryan is a bit harsh, but hopefully, at some point he will redeem himself. I'm sorry it wasn't Seto, but as I told Mariks1andonly, Seto needed to have the Knight's role. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reviewing, glad to read a review by you again!

SetoLover: I missed writing, trust me, this is way more fun than any homework I've had to deal with. I'm glad we're both back on track...hello again! Eh, bad guess...you were half right, he did make his reappearance in this chapter. Yep, twists and turns...have I lost you yet? I may have lost me somewhere in there. Glad you like the development I'm trying to make them well rounded and with a review like yours I know I'm a success, which helps ease my mind. So, you don't like Ryan either huh? Is it because he's in love with Iolite? I'm curious... Thank you so much for reviewing, always love to hear what you have to say.


	25. Enlightened Deception

A/N: Excessively long chapter...I was just so motivated once I started.

Don't own Yu-gi-oh.

Chapter 25

Seto stood before Aron. He would not hold back because the man had himself crowned King. Kaiba was hardly impressed with titles, least of all titles that were not deserved. He had noticed the slight amount of blood drying at the corner of his wife's mouth and knew he had to keep calm despite his boiling fury. He wanted to kill him.

"My wife and I had planned my departure. We knew you would be watching us as soon as you knew of our wedding. How long could the marriage of Seto Kaiba and a princess be kept under wraps? It was a power play, you sniveling coward. Your attention was on her while I decimated your strongest ally." Kaiba's eyes shifted towards Mortimer.

"What crap are you spouting?" Aron demanded.

Seto Kaiba smirked at Aron's obvious confusion. He took his normal arrogant stance, arms folded across his chest head slightly bowed and eyes boring into Aron's through his bangs.

"Your friend can tell you how I had acquired several interests in his company a few weeks ago, can't you Mortimer?"

Iolite's eyes grew wide at the realization that the shares Kaiba was referring to were the same that _she_ had attempted to gain, but lost. She sunk her teeth gently into her tongue if she hadn't she was sure she would have cried out at his betrayal. She dug her fingernails into her palm and kept reminding herself to breathe in and breathe out.

"I hardly consider a measly 8 percent to be a threat to my vast holdings. Maybe you should learn how to add Seto Kaiba. If you can't perhaps someone who does should run Kaiba Corp." Mortimer arrogantly chuckled.

Kaiba's eyes shifted from one man to the other. It was time to hammer in the final nail in Mortimer's coffin and, perhaps inadvertently, his own.

"I only held 8 percent the last time I met with you, but thanks to my wife I now own 35 percent. That amount paired with the backing of your board of directors suddenly affords me the position of CEO. Funny how life works wouldn't you say?" Kaiba added condescendingly.

Mortimer jumped to his feet, somewhat ignoring the pain the shot up from his broken toes. The twisted rage on the man's face was terrifying for Iolite, she had dismissed him as a nuisance but the psychotic way his eyes looked caused her to latch on to Kaiba's strong arm. His back was to her as he faced down her enemies and she was grateful for his protection.

Aron's vehemence showed on his face. Kaiba regarded the two with an unsettling calmness. It was more than apparent that Seto had no fear of either man. One was older and the other was a King but he was the person holding all the cards and calling every shot. Nothing made him cower, that was the part of the equation both men failed to take into consideration.

"Checkmate Mortimer. You'll have a few hours, under guard, to remove your personal effects. No computer equipment or files will leave the building. Any questions?" Kaiba's voice was gravely superior.

Mortimer looked ashen. He turned to Aron. "I demand you do something!"

"Yes," Kaiba grinned maliciously then said mockingly, "Aron...do something."

Aron looked at the two men. Comprehension of what Kaiba had done was slow coming. He had just lost his biggest cash cow. This was not supposed to happen. That bitch of a sister had managed to get Seto Kaiba to raid Mortimer's company, she reversed his very own plan and now he was at her mercy. There was one final move to make. It would either save his scheme or would crash and burn.

"I must commend you for what you've managed to do Seto Kaiba. It's quite a coup d'état. However it means nothing. Iolite stays with me. She's mine to command. You can take Mortimer's company, but not my sister."

"I disagree. Our marriage is legal in this country and I'm far more powerful than you here. Hell, I'm probably more powerful in your country. This acquisition has just made me an even wealthier man. You will stay away from my wife."

Kaiba had stated his claim quite matter-of-factly. Iolite was furious but remained quiet, if she argued with Kaiba in front of her brother she would play into Aron's hands. She would deal with him later, at home. A wonderful realization hit her, she was going home...with Seto Kaiba. Her stomach involuntarily fluttered as reality hit her. She was not going to be prostituted by her brother instead she'd be reading Harry Potter to Mokuba. She softly exhaled a sigh of relief.

"I don't think so." Aron played his final card, "Guard seize them both!"

The large guard stood his ground. Aron turned his attention from Kaiba and his sister to his hired help.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for?!" He yelled at the large intimidating looking man. He was supposed to ask how high when told to jump, this was belligerence.

"He's waiting for my orders," Kaiba informed Aron. "You really are stupid. Let me explain things to you really slowly so you can keep up. I now possess more power than all of your friends put together. I am married to your sister, which makes me a Prince. In addition to those facts I hired your guard earlier tonight to insure my wife's safety. He will be leaving with us. You have been obliterated. I only wish it would have been a challenge. Any questions?" Kaiba grabbed Iolite's hand and started towards the door.

"This is not over by a long shot," Aron warned.

"You don't frighten me. Your idle threats carry no weight. If I catch you near my wife again you will suffer."

"I can now declare my sister a traitor. She will be without a country, never allowed to see her friends or family ever again." Aron threatened in a voice that sounded desperate. Kaiba slowly made his way back towards Aron, leaving Iolite by the door.

"Tell me, are you condemning her because she married me and you can no longer use her or because she's still alive?"

"Not obeying the monarchy is her damnation Seto Kaiba. I should have killed her tonight before you made your grand entrance..."

Kaiba's control snapped. Aron didn't have any time to prepare for the attack. Kaiba moved quickly, slamming his fist in Aron's face. The blow sent him reeling into the shelves behind him. They were torn free and the art work and books alike went tumbling to the ground in a mighty crash. He had probably broken his jaw, though he wished it was his neck.

"Leave Domino while I still allow it." Kaiba's warning was dark and sinister.

Iolite was thankful for his nearness. She didn't honestly know how long she would have been able to keep up her front. They left the room and entered the hallway. They stood there for a minute and he turned to her.

"We have to show a united front, our marriage has to look real. Will you cooperate?" His eyes searched hers. She tried to remember every reason she had to hate him, but at that moment the relief she felt in his presence overrode all other thoughts.

Raine looked on and smiled, it had worked. He had prayed it would but found himself doubting the plan Kaiba and Ryan had hatched a few days ago.

Kaiba suddenly moved, before Iolite realized his intentions she was wrapped up in his arms. Slowly he moved one hand to tilt up her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. He was almost unnerved when he saw the unshed tears in her eyes, "what did he do to you?"

The intention of a chaste kiss hello for any onlookers, to prove that their reunion as man and wife was true, was forgotten.

"Rage at me when we get home Highness," he whispered for her ears only before his mouth descended on hers. The kiss was hard and demanding, he felt her try to pull away with the first touch of his lips but her struggles were ignored and his hold tightened. He forced her mouth open by applying pressure on her chin with his hand and then his tongue swept inside her sweet mouth to end her defiance.

The kiss wasn't gentle, it was arousingly hot. She couldn't keep a thought in her head and eventually she couldn't remember if she was resisting him or not. Kaiba realized he had to stop when he heard her whimper, he let out a low growl in his throat as he pulled away but then quickly he claimed her mouth again. Damn how he wanted her and how he ached to have her. With regret he had never felt before he broke the kiss and forced himself to pull away.

She was totally confused by her own reaction, she was bloody furious with him yet she gave in to him. Her thoughts didn't even allow her to realize her arms were around him until he requested that she let go. She did, almost as if she were pulling herself out of a fire. The spell he wove around her the first time he kissed her was tangible still. He could kiss thoughts right out of her head and leave a simpering fool in his wake.

Several people saw the exchange and the gossip mill started. Things were working out exactly as planned. Soon everyone was giggling and chatting about the man who captured the heart of the Princess.

The new couple moved into the grand ballroom, people gathered around them to wish them well. Kaiba remained emotionless while Iolite smiled and giggled like a girl in love. People could see the change of expression on Kaiba only when someone dared touch his bride. His eyes shifted back and forth scanning the people making sure that there were no threats to her well-being. He was slowly leading her towards the door that led to the balcony. He had to survey her injuries and make sure she was all right.

They finally made it through the doors and into the cool night air, his guards held more of the people at bay denying access to the doors.

They stood there, just looking at each other. Neither knowing quite where to begin. She wanted to throw 'how dare you' and 'how could you' at him, but it would ruin the illusion they had created.

Their gazes held for the longest time, no words were spoken. Truthfully Iolite was finding it hard to catch her breath, Kaiba couldn't either. He didn't know what to make of his reaction. The urge to touch her was overwhelming, gently he brushed a few strands of hair that had come undone from her French twist away from her face. Had she always been this beautiful? His fingers gently touched her cheek, she felt oddly comforted by his tenderness. Her eyes closed softly for a moment, when she opened them he was scowling at her. Her eyes widened in fear.

His fingers gripped her chin and turned her face so he could better inspect her cheek in the moonlight.

"Which worthless piece of scum did this to you?" His voice sounded tense and angry. She shrugged. He waited. She sighed heavily.

"Does it really matter? It's my bruise not yours, besides I've gotten quite good with make-up you won't have to trouble yourself with my ugliness." She sounded thoroughly annoyed with him.

"I'm tired of your stubbornness. Every mark on your body is a concern of mine. Your welfare is of the utmost importance to me you are my wife." The warm look in his eyes made her feel like she was drinking a warm cup of cocoa.

His fingers stroked down her cheek, gently caressing away a shed tear.

He moved closer, his lips lingering above hers, just a breath away.

"You are hardly ugly Highness, I consider you to be breath taking." He tried to close the distance, but she turned her head. His kiss landed near her ear. She was mad at all the lies and deceit and even though she found him to be devastatingly attractive she had no intention of caving in to his charms.

Kaiba stood there staring down at her. Heaven help him he wanted to shake some sense into her. He had forgiven her lies and manipulations. It would be unacceptable if she thought to hold his against him. He actually hadn't lied nor did he manipulate. He simply did what had to be done.

"Once we get home I will give you a few minutes to get over your annoyance and then I insist that we get back to normal. I simply won't put up with obstinate behavior." He looked at her and noticed how she was frowning. "You really should be thanking me, come to think of it I just saved your royal neck."

"I can hardly wait until we return home Kaiba, I want to show you just how 'grateful' I am." Her words sounded honeyed. She looped her arm around his and started to lead him back into the party.

He was quite interested in putting on a show of alliance with his bride. The best way to keep her safe was to make people believe the marriage was real. They walked back into the party, arm in arm. Iolite put on her best smile while Kaiba's scowl looked natural.

Neither was really interested in staying longer than necessity called for. Within two hours they were entering the Kaiba mansion.

Mokuba tackled Iolite as she entered the door. Kaiba felt a slight stab of jealousy that his brother welcomed her before him.

"I was scared to death! I thought you weren't going to be coming home but here you are! You're here to stay right?! You aren't going back there are you? Did Seto save you? What happened? They didn't hurt you did they? Can you still read to me tonight, because Mai and Tea suck at it." The questions kept tumbling out of his mouth even as Iolite's shoulders shook with laughter.

Kaiba watched the two and couldn't help but give a small smile, it was nice that Mokuba had taken such a liking to her. He could also tell that the interest she showed in his little brother had everything to do with Mokuba and nothing to do with him. Many girls tried to use Mokuba to gain access to him, it seemed Iolite liked Mokuba in spite of him.

"I'm fine Mokuba, and yes I'm here to stay. Seto came and helped bring me home. I'll answer all of your questions in the morning. It's extremely late and well past your bedtime so you better get in bed or I won't read to you." She frowned at the boy, trying to be stern, but failing miserably. He was still straddling her waist on the floor. Suddenly he looked up at Kaiba.

"Are you staying or are you leaving again?" He actually sounded quite annoyed with his big brother.

"Hello to you too Kiddo. I'm staying."

Mokuba's face broke into a smile that warmed both Kaiba and Iolite.

"Our family is back together again big brother?"

"For now it is, if you don't get to bed I'll send you to boarding school."

"You'd miss me!" Mokuba giggled at his brother's teasing. He got off of Iolite and headed for the stairs. "I want to hear about everything in the morning!"

Kaiba held his hand out to Iolite, she slapped it away and stood up on her own. She headed for the stairs with Kaiba fast on her heels. She wasn't going to let him simply get away with what he had done; she was hurt, angry and betrayed. He had punished her for what she had done and that was far less. She wasn't in a forgiving mood.

As they made their way to the bedroom Kaiba began noticing changes, they were subtle, but were changes nonetheless. Hallways had been painted brighter, furniture switched positions, there was also a scent lingering in the air, possibly from all the cut flowers in vases. When she entered the room she attempted to slam the door in his face, but he caught it and followed her into what had once been his room.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" He looked around at the room they had entered. Everything had been changed, from the colors to the furniture to the positioning. She stood there defensively with a smug look on her face.

"One good shock deserves another, I guess you could say." She smirked at her mystified husband.

"What do you mean by that?" he growled as he began to approach her. "Where are my things? Why do you think you had the right to do this?"

"Your rights were terminated the day you abandoned me on the doorstep!" She yelled at him. There was no fear of him in her eyes, she was on an adrenalin kick.

"If I would have stayed I would have..."

"Raped me?!" She finished his statement with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"I would never have done that and I think you know it." He looked around the room and began to wonder where his furniture went. It was very light, no more midnight colors adorning the room. It no longer looked like a tomb, a look he never really appreciated, but never changed. There were candles everywhere...he hated candles. Knowing his luck they were probably scented like flowers. Great 'Seto Kaiba CEO' now had a room fit for a woman.

"I wanted my own room from the start, this is totally your fault Seto Kaiba. If I had been given a room of my own instead of being forced into your mausoleum I wouldn't have needed to change 'your' room. Now this room is mine."

He eyed her, she wasn't facing him, she was looking at the ceiling, as if he were an annoyance. She was unreal.

"I will change it back tomorrow." He challenged.

"I dare you to try," she countered.

"Who do you think you are?" He began approaching her menacingly. She stood her ground.

"You forced me into becoming your wife. You deceived me into believing it was my only option. I had another option, but your greed stole my freedom and now I will make your existence miserable." Her eyes were full of fury.

"If you had been able to gain the interests and raided Mortimer how long do you believe you would have remained safe?" He baited her.

"My brothers would have been so occupied trying to recover their losses I would have been the furthest thought from their minds."

"Or the closest. You would have been sold to the highest bidder in order to gain more funding."

"I'm so tired of being thought of as an object!" She was livid.

He folded his arms across his chest, "You are my wife. I saved you from the life that would have been dictated by your psychotic brothers."

"My savior," she spat out, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kaiba eyed her wearily, noting the clenching and unclenching of her fists.

"What happens now? Do you expect me to fall to my knees and thank you? Or fall into your bed? For some reason you don't seem the type to do favors without the expectation of repayment. Do you want my ability to raid, to hack or to warm your bed?!"

He grabbed her shoulders and store into her eyes. He couldn't believe how cold they looked, that was his not hers. She could never be a true enemy, even with the knowledge she had of his company she had fought Aron's insistence that she was to raid Kaiba Corp. She would never make a good chess mate, on the computer she was a genius, but in real life she couldn't calculate with cunning. She wasn't cold, she was warm and delicate. Even though she had been angry with him she had allowed the kissing and responded.

"Do you consider what I did a favor?"

"I think of it as entrapment. You forced my hand, denying me the interests denied me my freedom and put me at your mercy. I would never have married you and your ego if I had an option."

"Then you still think of me as the enemy?"

She considered his words, even as she tried to fight him mentally she wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms and find the comfort she had wanted all night. An enemy? _Would I ache for a real enemy? I do not want you and yet you steal each breath I'm breathing from me._

"Get out!" She pulled out of his grasp.

His eyes narrowed and glazed a deeper blue than normal. "What has been done is done Highness, I don't apologize for what I know is right."

"Well I don't intend to thank you. I do intend to tell you that you're contemptible. You're a vile, despicable, arrogant, mean-spirited pig. I will never forgive you for this treachery." Her heart felt shattered as she continued to insult him with words she didn't believe she was capable of saying.

Kaiba clenched his jaw tight, which indicated that he didn't like the insults she was hurling at him. Her tirade continued with comparisons of different animals and their back ends. She couldn't seem to stop once she started on this roll, she hated that she had lowered herself to his level. A few very unprincess-like words escaped and Seto Kaiba's eyes went from wide with almost stunned disbelief to half-closed and burning.

She finally stopped her mouth and moved to the door, she opened it and took off down the hall.

Raine was about to open his bedroom door when he noticed the commotion. Iolite was fast approaching as Kaiba snuck up behind her, grabbed her wrist and commenced dragging her back down to the bedroom. Raine stood there and watched, stunned.

"God have mercy," she mumbled.

"If you must pray don't mumble, show the same tenacity you just showed my ego." He looked fit to be tied, she couldn't recall a time she'd seen him angrier.

Her snort at his comment wasn't appreciated as his grip tightened. He dragged her into their room and slammed the door. She backed up as far a she could get in the room and waited to experience his wrath.

**A/N:** I have discussed, at length, with my friend who is proofing this about the ending of this story. It is coming to a natural end. You will see in the next chapter or two that I have to end this story. I can't divulge why...I'd ruin everything. She demands that I continue because there are so many routes to take with this story. I know I have a following for this story so I want to hear from you guys. Please review and let me know what you think! The next chapter will be up soon, it's already completed! Just waiting to be edited. PLEASE review...love reviews...thanks in advance!

**JosephineJekyl:** I try to update ASAP...sometimes life gets in the way, but I'm never horrible (at least I don't think I am)! I hope this lived up to your expectations. I used a ton of dialogue I was in one of those moods. Thanks! Glad you like it!

**Sarah:** I missed Seto too, he was gone for too long, but now he is back to stay. I won't be sending him off again. Thanks for reviewing! Not much of a cliffie this chapter.

**CRAZYABOUTANIME:** Thanks for the compliment, it's always nice to know you're appreciated. Glad you like the story, hope I updated fast enough for you! Thanks for reviewing!

**Mariks1andonly:** How did your midterms go? I hated them in school, now I look forward to finals in college...joy! Hope this chapter helped you celebrate...midterms are over right? I like moving on after tests, they occupy too much mental time. The next chapter should be up in a few days after it is proofread. Thanks, as always, for reviewing!

**WhitejellO:** She had to start showing some concern for her country (seeing as she's the only one fit to run it) and for little Mokuba. Heck, she even put Seto before her, not that he deserved it after all he had done. I'll remember about the flinch...for next time. I would never allow a meltdown but a flinch would be cool. Hope you like the parts you inspired here...I know you were waiting for the room to be unveiled. Wouldn't it be nice to have Kaiba come to your rescue? I know I could use him on an almost daily basis...

This chapter was soooo long! I know, the feedback is deceiving. I needed to do a cliffie, I like them! The next is in the can waiting for a proof reading, I think my friend proofs just to get a sneak peek.

I'm so thrilled that Bush is back! So many jobs down here depend on him, Kerry isn't a gov't contract guy and a lot of unemployment would have ensued. I know my boyfriend would have been laid off from Harris (a major gov't satellite operations place). NASA would have been in jeopardy too. Now we have 4 more years of being ok...until Hillary comes knocking...sheesh! I know what you mean about not letting Ohio go... I was shocked that Florida was declared as early as it was. I can't remember what time I stayed up 'til, only that my backside dragged the whole next day. It was worth it though, I enjoyed Knowing before all my sleeping friends and relatives!

Nearly had a laughing fit about the hurricane stuff, get a life already! Did he cause the volcano to burp too?! I guess I could blame my foot on Bush too, I was going to an 'election' party... It's finally healing. I could have used stitches, but I'm a baby and would rather take my chances. Besides sympathy from others is a beautiful thing. Hope this was pronto enough! Thanks for reviewing!

**Victorprimis:** You took the time to review, which I appreciate, so naturally I had to respond! You were locked out of the system?! How cruel! Anonymous doesn't bother me. An art form huh? I'm glad you're enjoying the suspense. You're welcome about the updating, thank you for reviewing!

**Frosty:** My foot sucks, but it's better and I don't dwell well. It's great leverage against a boyfriend...now the car door gets opened and closed for me. He fell out of that habit for a bit there. I'm glad you updated, and understand that you may not for a while. I hope things work out for you. I feel badly for you... Not much I can do for you at the other end of a computer, but if you can think of anything let me know! Take care of yourself! Thanks for reviewing as always...you're always great at reviews!

**Solo-girl:** Kaiba was wonderful, I could use him in a few of my classes. I can't comment much on what else you said or I'll spoil the next chapter. Yeah-Way to Go George!!!

I saw 'The Incredibles' this weekend...at the beginning there was a preview for the next Star Wars movie. Do you only like the original 3 or do you like the prequels as well? This last one looks like it could be pretty intense. I thought of you when I saw it, I know how mad you were when I made the 'Star Wars again?!?' comment. Thanks for reviewing.

**Dragon Master's Mistress:** He can so be my hero any day of the week! Hope it was convincing. Glad you saw it my way. Thanks for the review.

**I heart Seto!:** 6 hours huh?! Wow I am soooo impressed. I'm glad it's your favorite and that you love it. Of all the ones I'm writing it is my favorite as well. I try to keep Seto in character, but sometimes he has to be a bit OOC and I'm glad you appreciate that. Sometimes I think I go too detailed, glad you don't think so. He is hot. The fluffy stuff is my favorite, I loved the kissing scene a few chapters ago. I hope you like what happened in this chapter. I know if they communicated things would work out so much better, but it's a romance so that dictates that there has to be confusion. Anyway, I'm babbling...hope you enjoyed the read and the next chapter will be up in a matter of days! Thanks soooo much for the awesome review!


	26. A Costly Surrender

A/N: I thought I would get this out sooner, but with three stories going and only one proofreader I'm on her time schedule. So, without any further waiting here is the next installment... Oh, I don't own Yu-gi-oh, my hat is off to the creator, without whom I would be quite bored and uninspired...

Chapter 26

"We're going to finish this tonight. You will not storm out of this room until we settle our dispute." Kaiba's tone was sharp.

"This is hardly a minor dispute Kaiba and I don't think we will be able to finish this in one night. Besides I'm pretty much done, I've said all I have to say to you." She tried to sound firm, but her feelings for him lurked, dangerously, at the surface. When had she started to want him? She had made herself a promise to hold him at arms length, when had she let him in?

"I won't allow retribution for my actions. They weren't motivated by greed." Kaiba was doing his best to remain as calm with her as possible though his voice was almost a growl at that point.

"If not greed, why Kaiba? Why did you buy the interests in the first place? It happened before I agreed to marry you, I just can't understand your motives. You've put me through hell, deprived me of my freedom and extinguished the one way I could have avenged myself." She was beginning to sound desperate for answers. Her heart was pounding in a rhythm that matched the thunder in her head that threatened to rip her skull apart.

Kaiba thought about explaining why to her, but came up with nothing. Originally, when he realized she knew how to raid companies he had been concerned she would try to destroy Kaiba Corp.. However, that wasn't his reason for purchasing the shares.

He didn't like the fact that she was playing with Mortimer. Mortimer was too dangerous to toy with and even though her intentions were to destroy the man he could have easily retaliated. She would have been at the receiving end of his wrath, but that wasn't his true motive. He wanted her, he slowly realized. By purchasing the shares he had insured her presence in his world.  She had slipped beaneth his skin. 

She turned her back to him and began to rub her temples. She wondered if this was what an aneurysm felt like.

He knew she was upset, had just experienced the worst verbal lashing he had ever received from a woman, and yet he felt the urge to comfort her? The only person he ever comforted was Mokuba, he wouldn't know where to start with a woman. Would she even let him?

"I see no need to explain my purpose. I already told you what's done is done. It was in your best interest." His voice sounded harsher than he had intended, he cursed at himself.

"Why do you care what's best for me?" She asked, finally sounded defeated. "What am I to you? I serve no purpose in your life. You have your business to satisfy your ambition, your dueling challenges your intellect and your brother holds your heart." She slowly turned to look at him. He was standing there arousing every one of her senses and yet he had no clue he had captured her very essence. The one person who had come to mean so much to her had no need for her.

He wanted to tell her how wrong her reasoning was, but that would show he could be weak and that was forbidden.

They stood there, her eyes pleading, his eyes cold, but no longer as distant.

"Please Kaiba, if there is even a bare hint of compassion towards me in you, please just go." She implored, not wanting to give him more ammunition with her tears. Her open vulnerability when he was around proved to her that he now possessed her soul. The final stab to her heart came in the realization that she had nothing of his.

He wanted to say something, anything, but the words died in his throat. The need to take her in his arms, despite the protests he was sure she'd make, was almost overwhelming. Resistance was his and with a frayed sigh he turned and left her alone in the room.

The click of the door shutting shattered her resolve. Her sobs caught her off guard and even as she lowered herself onto the bed she asked herself again and again if she could just be on the giving end of this marriage. Would she be able to endure a loveless marriage with a man who's heart made the artic seem balmy? Could she lay her heart, mind and soul bare to Seto Kaiba, expect nothing in return and find the tiniest shard of happiness?

Seto made his way through the mansion, not really sure where he was heading or what to think. One question kept circling his mind like a ravenous shark circling a struggling fish, why did he force the marriage? It wasn't because she was beautiful, he had been with beautiful women before. Her intelligence was more appealing than her looks, she ran a muti-million dollar company with ease and undercover. She, at her young age, could hack into the most complicated system and raid corporations like swatting at flies, still her abilities weren't what he desired. Why didn't he simply give her the shares? He contemplated the question harder than he planned a move in dueling.

Upon entering his office he noticed the drapes were gone, she hated drapes and loved the sunlight. She had rearranged the furniture so his desk now sat perpendicular to the window, instead of having his back to the window. He could see his door and look out onto the gardens. He smirked, she wanted him to see the outside world. He sat behind the desk and tried to convince himself that he wasn't moving the furniture back because of the late hour and the noise it would create. She had thought of him while he was away, why else had she taken the time to do this?

A scowl replaced the almost serene look on his face. She occupied too much of his thoughts, he wasted too much time thinking about her and valuable amounts of energy were used to figure her out. He would keep her around because Mokuba liked her and that was that. From this point forward he would steer clear of his wife.

Iolite woke in the morning and started her tasks. She showered and dressed, pulling her hair up in a long ponytail to keep it out of her way. Today she would have the fishpond cleaned by the 2 gardeners she had seen fit to keep. They were, in her estimation, the only ones who had any knowledge of plants and grounds. She would begin interviewing replacements for the men she had fired next week.

She went down the hall and knocked on Mokuba's door, "are you up yet?" She called in then waited for a response. The door clicked open and a radiant smile greeted her.

"I was hoping we could plan something fun for today." She smiled down at him.

"Like what?" He asked as they headed for the stairs.

"I don't know, after I do a little work around here I figured we could do something to celebrate my staying."

"You do so much around here," he sighed heavily. "Why have hired help?"

She smiled at Mokuba, "I'm just getting things to run smoothly. Soon I'll have everything running like clock work and then I'll have to find other things to do."

"Like run your company?" He asked giggling.

"I do that too Mokuba. I had to run a palace in Valkaria and start my company from scratch. I think I can handle the Kaiba Mansion and Cathway." She smiled, "Now, I'm starving-I'll race you to the kitchen..." She took off, but then let him catch up and take the lead down the back stairs into the kitchen.

Kaiba hadn't slept the whole night, instead he sat up and worked mercilessly. He explored the ins and outs of Mortimer's company, already he was starting to reconfigure the operating systems and change key passwords. He would start interviews with the higher ups and commence the firing of anyone who posed a threat. He didn't think there would be many loyalists, seeing as Robert Mortimer was a tyrant, but he had to be sure.

The sun coming up told Kaiba that it was time to stop. He stood up and stretched, his eyes were tired, but his mind was racing. He would have a cup of coffee and then try to talk to Iolite again. Maybe in the light of morning she would see the wrongness in her way of thinking.

He left his office, but instead of going to the kitchen he went out into the garden. What he saw there infuriated him. All of his plants were cut back, new flowers were everywhere and only two men were working. Where was the crew he had hired? He approached the men and heard, though he already safely guessed, that this was her doing. She had fired everyone.

Coming around the back of the house he saw huge mounds of mulch ready to be distributed , he hadn't ordered this...

He tried to swallow his anger when he saw his cars, lined up in a row, being worked on. The mechanic gave him a scared smile.

"Hello sir," he managed at Kaiba's frown.

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Iolite," he started, but then thought the better of that, "Miss Iolite...uh...the Princess. that is...Mrs. Kaiba..."

"Spit it out already, I'm losing my patience." He was furious by now, how dare she order his cars touched?!

"She wanted the oil changed and a routine maintenance schedule set up. She decided we should start fresh by changing the oil, filters, and fluids, plus do the rotations and checks on everything....Sir..."

"Oh did she, and you obeyed?" He was ready to throttle the shaking man.

"You weren't around to confirm, and seeing as she let most of the staff go..."

Kaiba turned on his heel at that comment and made his way into the house. Now he was ready to strangle his bride. It wasn't bad enough that she painted, rearranged furniture and had become a horticulturist she also elected herself auto mechanic. It was time to explain to her who was in charge here.

He burst into the kitchen with a look on his face that would have sent the most formidable duelist to his knees. Mokuba was happily eating a plate of waffles while his wife was on her hands and knees cleaning out the food pantry.

"Good morning big brother!" Mokuba called out cheerfully.

He grunted his hello and set his sights on his wife. He was sure he would be a widower in a matter of minutes.

"Just what are you up to?" He growled behind her.

She was so startled by his nearness that she jumped up, slamming her head on an upper shelf, causing a bag of flour to rain down on her.

"Damn it Kaiba, must you sneak up on me?!" She went from being on her hands and knees to being on her backside, rubbing the bump that was forming on her head. She softly brushed the flour out of her face and stood.

"I have issues to discuss with you Highness."

"I'm busy." She answered flippantly. Defying him with those blue eyes that were again flashing amethyst with rage at him.

"Then you'll have to make time," he grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her from the room. Mokuba saw the exchange between Iolite and Seto. He shrugged and continued to eat his breakfast, knowing that his interference wasn't necessary.

When Kaiba had dragged her into the dining room he stopped and turned to face her.

"Did you know your jaw ticks when you're angry?" She mocked him, smiling sweetly, "Is it because you're clenching your teeth?"

"You're on dangerous ground Highness." For once he wished she'd smile at him for a good reason.

"You're not making any sense. Why are you annoyed with me now? Because it's Saturday?!"

"What do you think you're doing in my house?! You've changed far too much. I'm in charge here and your meddling will stop now." His eyes flashed a dangerous blue.

"Just what don't you approve of? My meddling or my ability to run your household in your absence?" She folded her arms across her chest.

"You've changed everything!" He moved closer to her in an attempt of intimidation.

"Only what needed to be changed." She stood her ground.

"What did you do to the gardens, for starters..." He was inches away from her face.

"They needed to be trimmed back, it was an overgrown jungle out there. If it hadn't been dead-headed everything would have died." She replied matter-of-factly.

"You fired my gardeners!" He yelled.

"They were incompetent, I'll be hiring new ones Monday." She shrugged.

"What about moving the furniture and painting?"

"I put things in order and a paint job was more than necessary. You have to keep up with the maintenance of a home." She spoke to him as if he were a moron.

"My cars?!" He raged.

"Do you remember the last time they were worked on? You realize the 3000 mile rule right? Well, there is a 3 month rule too...whichever comes first. I figured we would start with a clean slate and keep up with it on an as needed basis at that point." She was trying to use logic, but he was still seeing red.

"From this point forward," his eyes narrowed, "everything is to be left up to me, understand?"

"So," She agreed, "I am to let your gardens die, your cars rot, your staff be incompetent and goof off, those who aren't incompetent are to be mistreated, oh and your house is to show it's age and become decrepit? Is there anything else?" She was now arguing using his tone of voice.

He frowned, not knowing how to react. "Stay out of my way Highness."

He left her standing there, not knowing what to think. She sighed then headed back into the kitchen to clean up her mess.

The next few weeks were horrible. She ignored him, unless he directly spoke to her. Every time he would enter a room she was in, abruptly she would leave finding some excuse that was more worthy of her time.

She would neither look at him nor speak to him. The colder she treated him the hotter his fury burned.

"Stay!" He ordered one night as he entered the dining room to join her and Mokuba for dinner. She was in the middle of rising out of her chair, he was sure she was attempting to leave.

"Of course Master Seto Kaiba sir..." She curtsied with her head bowed, her eyes never meeting his. This was worse to him than when she hurled insults. At least her insults meant that she still thought of him, even if it was in anger.

One day he caught a glimpse of her, her eyes looked red and puffy as if she had been crying. That wasn't possible seeing as he was the one being punished. He had shown he wanted to resolve things, as soon as she agreed he was right, but she had chosen to despise him regardless of his magnanimous gestures.

Days passed and she was still frigid. He would hear her laughter, but the second she would lay eyes on him the smile would die on her face. At times he tried to make her angry, he even thought of shaking her to get her to respond. Anything was better than the way she looked right through him. She would cuddle up with Mokuba and read for hours. Tea and Mai would come over and they would giggle and laugh, even Yugi had a running dialogue with his wife. The staff adored her, they did ten times the work they use to. She had rearranged schedules to accommodate children and families. She even pitched in and helped with menial tasks, never ordering, but simply asking.

Meanwhile, he worked harder than ever. He basically moved into his office. He would work all day at headquarters and then come home and work more. Dark circles appeared under his eyes and he began to feel unnecessary in his own home. Mokuba still tried to gain his attention, but Kaiba closed himself down, throwing himself into keeping Kaiba Corp. on top and continuing the transition of Mortimer's company. She was another story, he found himself making excuses to be near her, just to see if he could touch her. Being away was easier than being so near yet so unwelcome.

She cried daily, almost making herself sick. She plunged headlong into work in an attempt to keep her mind off of him. The days that Mokuba was at school were the worst, at least when he was around she had someone to laugh with. She tried to convince herself that she hated Kaiba, but found herself wanting to run to his arms every second of every day. A few times footsteps stopped at the bedroom door late at night. She would wait, praying silently that he would come in and all would be forgiven and forgotten. She dreamt many times of him slipping into bed beside her, leaning over her in the dark.

* * *

"What?" she asked an annoyed looking Yugi. 

"How long are you going to punish Kaiba? I don't think I've ever seen him look so gloomy." Yugi sat down beside her and took her hand. His warm eyes gave her little comfort.

"I don't think I can forgive him Yugi. He took my freedom by betraying my trust. I think that with his abandonment is not worth my heart." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"You already gave him your heart. Didn't you?"

She nodded her head slowly, not honestly having a clue when it had happened, only that it did.

"What do I do?" She asked Yugi.

"Why don't you tell him?"

"He'll never love me back, everything I give will be one way. I'll never know when the next betrayal will come or what he'll do once he gets bored with his conquest. I've lived with so much disappointment and none of the men in my life have ever been worth much except for my Dad, Raine and, at times, Ryan."

"Gozaburo hurt Kaiba mentally and physically. He lost his childhood and his emotions when he closed himself off as protection from further mental anguish. He thinks he can compensate for all he lost by acquiring power and prestige. Maybe he finds consolation in achievement. The only thing I'm sure of is that he would never try to hurt you. I don't know how but I know you've changed him. Maybe you should let your wall down and try once more."

"I know you're trying to help Yugi, but I don't think I have a last try..."

* * *

"I give up Raine," Kaiba lamented to the tired bodyguard. 

"She has an amazing capacity to frustrate doesn't she?" Raine smiled but didn't look up from his newspaper.

"Where did she acquire such an amazing gift?" Kaiba asked with noted cynicism.

"Her mother." Raine answered with some mirth and a sly smile.

"Did you know her mother?"

Raine fished his wallet out and pulled out a picture of a woman who looked exactly like Iolite, except her eyes were a pale blue. She was holding a baby, which he was sure was the shrew he had married.

"If you don't mind a suggestion sir..."

Kaiba scowled, he hated when he didn't have the answers, but he also wasn't stupid enough to ignore the only hope he had. If he had learned one thing from double dueling with Yugi he knew when assistance was slightly necessary.

"What would that be?" He grunted.

That night Seto Kaiba came to her while she sat in the library reading. She was about to get up and leave when he caught her hand.

"I only came to give this to you." He handed her an envelope and with a soft squeeze he released her hand and left the room.

She watched him with weary eyes until the door shut and she was alone. Slowly she opened the package and pulled out the contents. One grouping of papers signed over Mortimer's company to her exclusively. The other ended their marriage.

A/N: So how did I do? Please read and review, it would do my mind a world of good as well as appease my bleeding fingers...

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Wow, such an emotional review! You are sooo wonderful! Thank you for your reaction to the chapter. The best chapter yet huh? How do I compete with it? Now I'm going to be trying to top myself with every chapter. Thank you again for the comment about my writing ability...it is very appreciated and makes writing even more worth it!

Evilclowns666: Believe it or not this is the second time that same error has come up in my writing. The first time it was pointed out by whitejellO. This time my proofreader changed 'stared' to 'store' so I can totally blame her. I did reread after she checked it, but didn't catch it. Thank you for pointing it out so I can file it in my head and be totally aware of it the next time I use it. Thank you for the review, I'm glad you find it amazing! Does my heart and fingers good...

I heart Seto!: I'm glad you liked the fact that Seto came to her rescue. I 'm a romantic at heart and love the saving thing. The Knight in shining armour does it for me everytime! I had someone inspire me for the whole room scene (thank you whitejellO). I'm glad you found it funny. Two more chapters, possibly one and this story will be stamped as over...but, I have so many avenues and plot lines that I will do a sequel...are you interested in reading it? Or are you done with Seto and Iolite? I have 2 other fics at the moment, but they always seem to take a backseat to this story. Seto is amazing, I'm having problems doing fics without him as the main character in a romantic setting...crushing on a cartoon character...I need to seriously grow up someday! Not yet though, or anytime soon... Sorry there was no kiss this chapter, glad you liked the last one, and at first she resisted, but then he had to tell her to let go. She loses her mind every time he kisses her, wouldn't you, I think you know my answer to that! I'm glad I made your day. You made mine with reviewing....I live for reviews. Thanks so much.

WhitejellO: I'm glad you really liked this chapter, yes Seto has grown attached to her, now he'll let her go. I'm glad you liked the whole room scene...I should have dedicated chapter 25 to you. You were my inspiration! I can spew insults quite well (bad habit). I also can let a really bad word slip, then be like... 'Did that come out of my mouth?!' No it isn't a great feeling, kinda took it from real-life experience.

My foot is great, healing better than nicely. I also soooo enjoyed Disney. The park was practically empty so we did everything and the cool stuff several times. We went to MGM so it was Tower of Terror and the indoor Aerosmith coaster that saw repeating business. I swear I want to live there, just move on in to Cinderella's castle.

Yes, ah...if only. Now I look for men with brown hair and blue eyes, they are a rare commodity ya know?! Thanks for the review as always!

Tenshi: Thank you...

Mariks1andonly: How did you do on your midterms? I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving break so I can have time off. I'm sure it will be spent doing heaps of work for professors who intend on making my break miserable... Hopefully your break will be work free. I hope this chapter gave you some insight on how they feel about each other. She does love him, but is scared, look at how she's been so abused. Why should she trust him? Their relationship is based on a lie. Sadly 'Uninvited' will end in a chapter or two, but a sequel is already being worked out. I have a lot of storylines I opened and I intend to explore them. Glad you like the story so much. Thanks for reviewing as always!

Sarah: Well, what do you think? A happy ending...We'll see... Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Thanks for the review!

Josephine Jekyl: Glad you thought the chapter was great. I'm glad it left you guessing about her motivations. I hope you liked this chapter and that it gave you a bit of insight into her reasoning. I have no clue how I will be able to put an end to this story, I'm just happy that I decided to sequel it 'cause I love the plots I'm thinking up as a follow up.

Solo-girl: Biggest asshole huh? Poor Seto... did you feel badly for him after this chapter? I swear I felt like throwing Ryan in just to see what you would say lol. I love your reactions! Of course he has flare, he is Seto Kaiba...I just sooo love his character.

I'm so glad you found the bedroom scene hilarious, I achieved what I set out to do! Thank you so much!

I liked the originals myself too. Though I must say this III looks like it could be a winner. I didn't like I or II. Of course I thought of you...ya know, I like Star Wars too and I know you share that (though I also know you are a bigger fan than me). Have you seen it yet, with sound and all? You have to tell me what you think when you do! Thanks for the review!!!

Scuba muffin: I am so thrilled that you think this is the best on the internet. I am so very flattered! I so appreciate your review. I also hope this chapter has given you some insight as to why she is mad at him. All will be revealed as Uninvited draws to a conclusion within the next few days...are you interested in reading the sequel? I hope so 'cause I have some great ideas for it. Thank you so much again!!!

Siris:  So glad you like the sotry so much!  Thank you for the review!


	27. An Unfortunate Slight

A/N: OMG I can't believe all the reviews that poured in. I forced my proofreader to hurry this chapter up so I could post it as a thank you to you all! You were so very inspiring and I want to let you know how it is appreciated. Just one more chapter to go...I am going to miss this storyline, but I have brewed up some interesting ideas for the sequel. There will be far more intrigue, different locations and some more action. I will write about that in the conclusion to this story...before I forget...don't own Yu-gi-oh...

Chapter 27

Iolite stood there in the library while her world whirled around her like a demented carnival ride. She felt sick to her stomach while her head swirled in colors she had never experienced before. She was more confused then ever. He didn't want Mortimer's company but now it seemed he didn't want her either. She looked at the papers in her trembling hand. She placed the ownership papers of Mortimer down and slowly unfolded the dissolution of marriage papers. There were several places where arrows pointed to where her signature was required. His lines were already signed. A tear slipped down her cheek. This was an unexpected turn of events. Her anger now felt spent, replaced by a hollow misery.

Kaiba sat down behind the desk in his office, not believing he had just given freedom to the one thing he desired most. It had been weeks since he returned, he had tried every means possible to get through to her, but she had walled him out-completely. Were there other options? Had he missed something? No, he was sure he had tried everything. He closed his eyes and sat back into his chair. He had placed the proverbial ball in her court.

Iolite left the library not completely sure where to go in the huge mansion. It suddenly felt as if the walls were closing in on her. She needed to talk to someone. Maybe Tea or Mai. No, she looked at he clock on the wall; it was too late to call them. Who then? She raced up the stairs and down the halls, stopping only when she came upon the room of the one person who could help her.

She knocked on the door and waited for a response. Slowly the door opened and there stood Raine. He looked over her features, she reminded him of the child he had been hired to guard so many years ago. Gone was the hard edge, the ferocity in her eyes, before him stood a broken spirit. He stepped aside and she walked in, stoically. Her eyes down, shoulders slumped, her heart broken.

He closed the door behind her and slowly led her to a chair, he sat in one across from her. Then, waiting patiently, he watched her expression change from sorrow to chagrin to remorse. Never had he seen her cry in all the years he had known her. She had walls that were high because of her screwed up family. These past few weeks with Seto Kaiba produced the woman he knew lurked below the surface. She had so much of her mother in her, which, thankfully, prevented permanent warping by her deranged family members. Sharing her tears would be new to her and his heart lurched at the thought of being there.

"He doesn't want me Raine," she finally managed to choke out the whisper. Her concentration was focused solely on the hands that she had demurely folded in her lap.

"What do you care Princess? You don't want him either." His indigo eyes danced with mischief. It was time to snap her out of her martyrdom.

Her head straightened from its downtrodden position. She eyed him suspiciously.

"What do you mean by that crack?" She asked, her resolve returning slowly. Raine was glad to see the recovery.

"You've been purposefully ignoring him, treating him horribly and I know why." Raine stood and crossed to the fireplace that was slowly dying. He tossed in another log and poked at the flames.

She looked at her guard and stood. Slowly she folded her arms across her chest. "Why Raine? Why would I treat him so badly? You seem to know my psyche even better than me so do tell." She was being sarcastic and that was better than tears any day.

"It's simple Princess," he rose, softly brushing his hands together to remove the soot. "He's very arrogant and you hate that trait."

"He isn't," she corrected him, "Kaiba is just sure of himself and knows what he wants. I don't consider that arrogance just confident."

"Then there's the matter of his being so cold. I swear the man could survive the artic in his swim trunks. You're too warm to want someone that frigid." Raine walked over to the table in his room and poured a glass of water, he motioned as if asking if she wanted any. She shook her head no.

"He's not that cold Raine," she sighed, her eyes seemed to concentrate intently. "He went through a lot with his adopted father and he, like me, learned to hide his feelings. He's not that bad when he's not making business deals or expressing his authority." She smiled slightly when she involuntarily recalled a night of kissing in bed with him. He had been a downright tease and he'd been warm. She also recalled the ice cream fight and how he played arcade games. His sarcasm was so humorous. She wouldn't change a thing. "He's not frigid, just guarded."

"It's too bad that he doesn't," Raine paused, as if deep in thought, "how did you put it? 'Express his authority' with emotion. I guess to do that the man would need a heart wouldn't he?" Raine questioned her without turning to face her. Dead silence assaulted his ears. He smiled widely, she was assessing her feelings for the first time.

She finally came up with a retort, "He has a heart, look how he acts around Mokuba. Something changes when he's around his brother, it's like Christmas." She smiled, her eyes had a far away look about them. "I wish I loved someone like that. That their mere presence could light me up inside."

Raine knew that there was that someone and he was just as stubborn as she was.

"So he might have a heart, even a conscience and possibly he's just more confident than he has a right to be, but even you have to admit that his hair has to go." His words hung between them. His eyebrow raised, she had been defending his character, would she defend his looks?

"I mean," he continued, trying not to laugh at her galled expression. "The way it falls over his eyes, how can the man see? I'm surprised he doesn't trip. Then again, maybe it's better that his hair covers his face, perhaps he should grow it longer so we wouldn't have to look at him at all."

"Are you calling him ugly?" She sounded appalled by the idea. "I think Seto is the most amazing looking man I've ever seen. His blue eyes are magnificent, his hair is perfect I think I'd cry if he cut it and I like how it drapes over his eyes it give him a bit of a roguish look. I wouldn't change anything about him!" She was almost in tears now. How could Raine be so heartless that he could cut up Kaiba at a time like this, when her heart was breaking?

"For someone who has been ignoring him and treating him with glacial insolence you sure do sing his praises."

She looked at Raine, the realization of what he had just done dawned on her.

"You're toying with me, you're playing with my feelings for him! How dare you?!" The sad frightened child who entered his room was now gone, replaced with a woman incensed with his taunting.

"No Princess," he corrected, "how dare you!"

She stood there staring at him aghast, he had never yelled at her before. She was sure she hated it. She thought about telling him so when he continued, in a dangerous tone.

"Now, sit down and shut up while I tell you a thing or two." His eyes were enflamed.

"You have a chance at true happiness here. I know Kaiba has done a few things that were bad, but he has tried to correct them. He's new at showing his feelings. You, on the other hand, have behaved like a spoiled brat. He has tried to explain, you slammed door after door in his face. You meet him with more ice than I though you could muster. You don't listen, you don't try, you're stubborn and aggravating-well, you've accomplished what I didn't think you could...you've developed your mother's worst flaw, learn from her mistake!" His look was sad as he shook his head slowly, "You have to forgive in order to attain forgiveness."

"There is only one defect in your way of thinking Raine. How do I love someone who will never love me in return? How can I hand my heart over to someone who will never reciprocate? I want him to love me but I don't know if I'll ever receive that emotion from him and I don't know if I can handle that." Her voice trailed off as if considering how lonely her existence would be without Seto's heart.

"Have you ever considered how grand his gesture is?" Raine let the question sit in the air. "He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, but he would do anything for his brother you've seen that love and recognized it. He's just handed you a corporation that, merged with your own company, rivals Kaiba Corp. plus he gave you what he thinks you want most-your freedom. Do his sacrifices mean nothing? Perhaps his actions speak louder than his words ever will."

She took a few seconds to think his words over. Tears formed in her eyes, "What have I done?"

"Nothing that can't be undone, not yet anyway. Go to him and tell him how you feel Princess." Raine's voice was cool and soothing.

"I can't" She whispered.

"Then you'll loose him, sign the papers and dissolve the marriage." Raine walked to the door and opened it. "Don't let me know what you want, let him know. For once swallow your stupid pride. Where has it gotten you anyway? Isn't he worth the risk?"

He came back, putting his arm about her shoulders, then he walking her to the door, she was in a dream state. He led her out into the hall. The door shutting behind her brought her around. Now what?

Despite his feelings of dread about what he had done last night Kaiba dragged himself to work the next morning. He wondered if she had slept at all, was she happy about the dissolution, the handing over of Mortimer's empire? He wanted to ask her this morning, but she had seemed so preoccupied in the garden he didn't want to disturb her. He began to realize that he would miss her presence. Besides, he knew if he confronted her she would tune him out.

A soft knock on his door elicited a growled 'what' from him.

"I'm sorry sir," his secretary slowly opened the door, "I know you asked not to be disturbed, but this just came for you." She walked in and handed an envelope to him. She turned and left without another word. He looked at the envelope, wondering if it was a 'thank you for my freedom' note. His intense blue eyes waited impatiently for his fingers to open the envelope and pull out the card. He slowly read the lines...

_We need to discuss future arrangements. Please meet me in our room tonight at 8pm. Iolite_

His eyes read and reread the note. It was simple enough. He had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that he was sure would last until he finally had a chance to speak with her. Even if it was to simply say good-bye.

A/N: One more to go... Will it be happily ever after or will he have to chase her into part two, or will she chase him? Please read and review...

Dragon Master's Mistress: This chapter totally didn't help resolve anything did it? I do have my reasons and I'm hoping the next chapter will make you happy, it's possible it won't, I guess we'll have to wait and see right? Ending the marriage is the last resort, but then again this marriage started for all the wrong reasons...right? Two stubborn people who both will only admit to being right, what an awful combo! Thank you soooo much for reviewing. I will try to complete the next chapter soon, promise. I only hope my proofreader can get through this and her class work without giving herself a migraine!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: I always aim to please with my quick updates! Glad you liked it, I know it was sad but hopefully it will all turn out in the end... I thought the avoidance was a nice touch. The girl had self-discipline to resist that man. Thanks for the review!

JosephineJekyl: I know, this chapter answered nothing. I just couldn't do another huge chapter, I had a complaint that I wrote too long. So, I divided this in two. The finale should be up soon, just a bit more to go and then some editing. I'm glad I'm keeping you guessing. Thanks for the compliment and as always for the review! Bye for a short while!

I heart Seto!: How did you know I love romance?! Is it because all of my fics revolve around romance? My cartoon crushing stage hit a new low...rented the Yu-gi-oh movie and can't stop watching it...They didn't miss a trick with Seto did they? Don't care too much for the story only for him. It was inspiring...I'll be writing into the night lol! My family and friends are amused by my Seto obsession, thankfully I have some friends who find him amazing as well! Glad you liked the scene about her taking over his authority role. I tried to make him not as omnipotent, let him see a wife could be a good thing. Oh well, I like to slap his character down a bit every now and then. When he's too all-powerful he comes off as a bit annoying. (But I love him anyway lol). Glad you think this story is the best and hopefully the finale won't disappoint you! Thanks as always!

Peachi goddess: Thank you so much for the review! Glad you think it's so good. Hope this is soon enough for you.

Sarah: All will be resolved soon. As for Kaiba apologizing, he has tried in his own way, but she keeps ignoring him. I think this chapter works quite well showing her realizations... I don't want to tell you much, or else I'll ruin the ending. Thank you so much for the review!

Mariks1andonly: I hope this chapter helped you not be so mad at Seto. He isn't a man of many emotions... You'll have to wait for the end to see how it all resolves. The sequel is already in the works. I'm mapping it all out at this point. There are so many ways to go and I'm quite excited about it. You have my e-mail address too...on my profile page if you want to write. I'll definitely keep in touch...Thank you for reviewing, you are so loyal to this story and I love it!

Ayala: Wow what an awesome review! Thank you so much. You soooo made my night! I'm flattered that you think I'm doing a tremendous job I just hope I can keep it up. Just one thing...pay attention in school please, I would hate to think I'm responsible for bad grades...lol...thank you sooo much!!!

GoddessOfVictory: I cut this chapter down...I was going to make this the last chapter, but it would have been even longer than the last chapter that way! Glad I'm keeping you on the edge of your seat. I'm also glad that you like the fluff (my favorite part) and the way I portray Kaiba. Thank you so much for the review and I hope this chapter kept you entertained!

WhitejellO: Hmmmm I wonder if this chapter answered some of your thoughts...

I always enjoy Disney, went there again this past weekend and we're going this weekend as well. My friends and I have yearlong passes that expire soon. We're going to get passes for Universal/Islands of Adventure in 2005. I haven't been to the Disney in CA in years. I think you have things there that we don't have here-like the Indiana Jones ride. Have you been there in awhile? Have you been on Tower of Terror? That's the ultimate fun! I hate long lines too, that's why we all usually go on weekdays-Friday I have no classes and neither do some of my friends. It works well.

Glad you found the chapter incredible, hope you liked this one as much...is this the end? Will someone bend? I love it!!! Sorry I left you hanging and sorry I have to do it again! One more to go! Thanks for your thoughts...you are the most awesome reviewer!

Scuba muffin: Glad you're interested in the sequel...it should follow the finale quite quickly. I'm also happy that you understand why she's mad now. He really was horrible. One more chapter left to tie up the ends of this part of the story! Thanks for reviewing!

Evilclowns666: Thank you for the great review! I'm so glad you are really enjoying it, the last chapter should be up really soon. Hope this met your expectations, sorry for the little cliffie...

Cara: I know you reviewed chapter 17, but I figured I would thank you here...Glad you loved it, hope you loved the chapters that followed it just as much...Thanks for reviewing.

Solo-girl: Is it such a bad thing that his ego was deflated? You know that won't last long right?! Would you like me to make her run to Ryan's arms? You of all people would hate that. Though, secretly I know you want Ryan to annihilate Seto...jk lol (don't flame me I just couldn't resist). I felt bad writing the part about the divorce papers...it was quite sad. I do think Seto is bending, but she's being a brat now. I hope this chapter gave you a good snicker. I wanted to have her put in her place, Point accomplished I believe...

I have the DVDs before they made it 'special'. I also have tapes. The only special ones I saw were the ones of the first 3, or should I say, 4,5 and 6. I have yet to see the ones of 1 and 2. I think I will see #3 in the movies only because I am intrigued as to how it will tie that series to the better series. Is any of this making any sense? It's late and I'm kinda babbling I think. The Wookie home world huh? That might be worth seeing...where Chewie came from. I hope you see the trailer soon. I can't remember when it's supposed to come out (missed that part entirely).

I'll be summarizing the next story at the end of this one. Basically the same lines but with new conflicts and all. I started a few plots in here that I want to delve into. I also have decided to stir up more new trouble as well. It will focus mostly on Iolite and Kaiba with a bit more adventure and intrigue (of course prevailing romance as well). Hopefully I can keep entertaining you! You have so entertained me with your reviews! Thank you so much and don't forget to keep reviewing!

SirisAnkh: It is sad... Hopefully it will all end well. Hope you liked this chapter too! Thanks for the review!

Victor-primis: I'm just glad you reviewed. I don't care where you did it from. I'm glad you love the story. I feel quite badly for you, it seems like you're having a hard time right now. If you do read this, know that I hope it all gets better soon. I know how things can get bad, should have seen me when I was told we were moving from NY to Florida! I totally flipped out. Thankfully things calmed down and now I'm in a way better place. Nothing lasts forever, not even the worst stuff. I hope your situation improves soon.


	28. The Invitation

**A/N:** Well my wonderful loyal readers, here is where 'Uninvited' ends. You will understand why it has ended as you finish reading this. It was so hard to stop this story; it is my favorite out of all that I'm writing. It's my first ever and I'm partial to the characters. Thank you for all the reviews! The more I got the more inspired I was, so the faster I updated, and Allie for the second pair of eyes...

For the final time I'm not the owner of Yu-gi-oh…but I so thank those who created it, for the immense inspiration!

Chapter 28

Iolite entered the bedroom, finally, after a long day avoiding this part of the huge mansion. She had been trying to build her courage up but hadn't succeeded at all, truth be told, she felt like a stumbling idiot. What happened if all of Raine's insights were wrong? What if the reason Kaiba gave her the company and her freedom weren't motivated by feelings for her? She shook her head slowly as she closed the bedroom door.

Well, win, lose or draw tonight would usher in a new start to her relationship with Seto Kaiba. Was that why her hands were shaking? Two hours, she reminded herself, he would enter the room in two small hours. She had a few things to do before he came.

"Ahhh Princess," a familiar voice rang in her ears. Before she could recognize it she let out a startled scream, no one was suppose to be in here.

She whirled around as the bedroom door slammed open. Raine stormed in as Ryan stood. She was quickly shoved behind Raine as Ryan came out from behind the desk.

"Just what in the hell are you doing here?" An enraged Raine questioned a smug looking Ryan.

"I wanted to make sure Io was alright. I've kept my distance since the party, but I couldn't any longer." He looked from Raine to Iolite and smiled slowly.

"I'm fine Ryan." She sighed in exasperation; clearly she was annoyed with the intrusion.

"Have you worked everything out with Kaiba?" He asked as her as he examined his fingernails distractedly. She was now sure he was waiting to hear how she hated Seto and that the divorce was eminent. Suddenly it occurred to her how Kaiba managed to wrestle her shares away for Mortimer's company. A slow grin slid across her face.

"Kaiba and I are fine," she answered with agitation. "You on the other hand are in trouble. It just came to me…" She moved closer to him, "The only way Kaiba could have attained my shares was through treachery. I know you Ryan, you are a devious man when you see fit." The hand that she had been clenching now connected with Ryan's jaw.

"What did you do?" She asked through clenched teeth. A very amused Raine chuckled.

Ryan smiled widely at her, after recovering from the impact. Mockingly he held a hand to his chest, "Who me?"

"You handed them over to him. You're the only one capable of doing it. I mean Kaiba's hacking skills are amazing, but I had things so well protected only you could access things." She wasn't quite furious, but getting there. "Now I'll have you reason."

Ryan smiled at her. "Seto Kaiba was the only person who could save you. I gave him the means."

:"Then the only reason he came after me was because of you?" She was so confused and hurt.

"He was coming after you regardless," Raine interjected. "He wasn't going to let your brother get his hands on you. Mortimer's company merely gave him an edge."

"You needed to be saved and he saved you. I just couldn't let it slide, you needed to know that the betrayal came from me not Seto Kaiba. That's my reason for being here. I came to take the blame I deserve."

"Why would you do this? Why confess now?" She moved closer to her friend.

"You'll never look at me the way you look at him." Ryan tilted her chin up and searched her face, "I'm fine with being your friend, though I will be doing it in another country. I'm returning to Valkaria."

Her heart lurched, she was losing her friend. "Why?"

"You need time to adjust to being a wife to Seto Kaiba. Besides, it would kill me to watch you newlyweds prance about."

She snickered at the thought of Seto prancing.

"I will miss you," she whispered. He kissed her forehead.

"You aren't done with me Io, just rid of me for a spell. I have a company to help run, Cathway is being sorely neglected by its owner."

"I'm just busy." She amended.

"Then be busy with your husband." He looked at Raine and gave the guard a teasing salute. Raine nodded in approval. "Take care of her." He walked towards the balcony and laughed over his shoulder, "Oh, and Raine warn the poor boy about her left hook!" With that he disappeared into the night. She smiled as she recalled all the times he'd been there for her and now he was opening the door for her future. He had just wiped Kaiba's slate clean.

"You better get ready for your date Princess." Raine left her alone in the room.

She glanced at the clock and a nervous tremor passed through her. Slowly she walked over to the fireplace and picked up the box of long matches. She took a steadying breath and struck one on the side. Using her hand to shield the small flame she walked around the room lighting the candles one by one. All the while she silently forgave Seto of any wrong doings. She forgave the coldness, the abandonment, the thievery, the lies and the secrets. Everything that had gone wrong would now be put right.

She glanced around. The candles and the fireplace were glowing with warmth. The scene was set. She shut the lights and went into the huge closet. She silently thanked Mai for the nightgown that had been her wedding gift.

* * *

Kaiba entered the room a bit earlier then expected. Prolonging the inevitable was taking its toll on him. He looked around the room at the lit candles and the roaring fire. Somehow it seemed appropriate. The candles that he hated, though he couldn't detect a flowery scent, should be lit for her good bye speech.

* * *

She was going to tell him she was sorry. Sorry that her pride had gotten in the way. Sorry that she hadn't been able to let him in. Raine was right, Kaiba had made a grand gesture and now it was her turn.

Her convictions were firm until she opened the door and entered the bedroom. He stood staring out the window completely lost in his thoughts. It was one thing to be full of pride, but another to confront your husband, who each night found reasons to avoid your bed. Her bare feet were silent on the plush carpet as she went to stand a few feet behind him.

Kaiba sensed, more than saw, her presence. Slowly he turned towards her and his breath caught. Her hair looked darker in the candlelight, it added a warm glow to her ivory skin. The white silk robe she wore clung to her curves. He couldn't speak. The stillness of the room, the flickering of the warm flames and the nearness of her were more than his dreams.

"I don't know if this was what you were expecting," she whispered, breaking the silence.

His eyes searched hers.

"I have no right to ask you to forgive me. The truth is, I've behaved horribly towards you. I think it's time to rectify all that has gone wrong." She waited for a response. It took all her strength not to launch herself into his arms.

"We have had a problem with communicating," she explained.

"You have a problem with keeping secrets," he amended.

"I keep secrets very well," she countered. She blushed madly at her own stupidity.

"You shouldn't keep any from me." He said seriously.

"You keep plenty from me," she spat, realizing they were starting to fight again.

His deep blue eyes looked nearly black in the candlelight. Were they still at a stalemate? Would they ever get past everything?

"I won't keep anymore from you Kaiba, all you have to do is ask and I'll answer your questions," she bit her lip and cast her eyes down, "truthfully."

"I'll do what I can," Kaiba offered. She figured that was as good as it would get from him. He was a man of few sweet words and she knew his past had broken him. Her patience would bring him around eventually and then maybe he would love her.

Kaiba looked around the room. He realized that there was more to this meeting than just a truce. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for her to proceed. It would have been better if his eyes weren't narrowed on her, he realized, but had a very hard time concentrating due to the setting and her clothing, or rather, the lack there of.

Damn him, she thought, he looked furious with her. Was there any way to please this man? Slowly she walked to the table and lifted the dissolution papers.

"Do you still want my absence?" She asked, the fear evident in her voice.

"I gave you your freedom, not because I want your absence, but because you want mine." He shrugged the thought off, but never took his eyes from her.

"Do you, truthfully, want my signature on these papers?" She asked with a catch in her voice.

"Truthfully?" His eyes captured hers. When he saw her nod slightly he continued.

"I want you to come to me so I can make you mine. This is our last stand Highness. I either leave this room now a free man or I stay tonight and our marriage is consummated."

Her body ached at the thought of belonging to Seto Kaiba. Fear ripped though her suddenly. She knew nothing about consummating marriages. She slowly walked to the fireplace and tossed in the papers. It was done. She made her choice.

She stared at him then slowly untied her robe. He watched as it slid down her shoulders and pooled around her ankles on the floor. His eyes roamed over her now with an intense hunger that terrified her. The gown she was wearing covered her completely, where necessary but strips of sheer cloth tantalized his senses. She was more afraid of him now than when he yelled.

He drank in all she was offering. Only when his eyes finally met hers did he realize she was troubled. Was that expression fear? As if he could possibly reject her? The likelihood of that happening was so ludicrous he almost laughed.

"Should I get into the bed now?" She asked as her eyes went from the bed to Kaiba to the bed and then back to him.

"Do you want to?" He asked, knowing she was scared.

"Not really, not just yet."

"Then don't," he had waited this long for her guard to come down and he had no intention of terrifying her. He walked to the fireplace. When he turned to gaze at her again he realized she was smiling.

"Why are you being so agreeable?" She asked with a slight giggle.

"We have all night and then some."

"I should have known. You love to toy with your competition in duel monsters. You like to prolong their agony when victory can be attained early on." She moved closer to him.

"We're not competing now, the way I see it this is a battle I'd like us both to win."

He was teasing her and she was calming down visibly. He slowly started unbuttoning his shirt. She felt a lump rise in her throat, she had seen him in the pool before so this was silly. However, then her didn't want to sleep with her, now he did. He tossed the discarded shirt over the loveseat.

Impulsively she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. She didn't mind how he now seemed to tower above her. He slowly put his arms around her and pulled her closer, hugging her.

"Seto, will you explain what's going to happen?" A slight tremor in her voice made him kiss the top of her head. He really wanted her mouth.

"No."

"You really aren't going to tell me?" She sounded scared.

He slid a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. When his mouth was a breath away from hers he whispered, "I want to show you."

She didn't have time to worry. His mouth possessively claimed hers. Gone was the gentleness and reserve. The kiss was blatant and carnal, he wanted to take her. His mouth slanted over hers again and again until she no longer resisted him, her passion started to equal his. Their breath, his raspy, hers shallow, began to mingle. He kissed her for long minutes, softly caressed her back and shoulders. He was determined to take this slowly, he didn't want her fear he wanted her heart.

"Seto," she whispered.

She had barely finished that single syllable when she was in his arms, being carried to the bed with his soft mouth fastened to hers.

Her fear of him competed with the fear of herself. Kaiba sensed it as he kissed her. He had waited so long for this moment, and then dreaded it would never happen. Patiently he had stood by and waited for her to come to him. He hoped she could learn to trust him, he knew how badly damaged she was from the torture inflicted by the other men in her life. Yet now as he held her there was no great triumph. When he won a duel or annihilated competition in business he felt elated and prideful. Her surrender was calming as he placed her on the bed. Gently he laid on top of her, then leaned on his elbows to lessen his weight on her. She moved her legs so that he was lying between them comfortably.

"What's troubling you? Is something wrong?" Kaiba searched her eyes for answers. His concern for her made her want to cry. She smiled instead then lifted her face to be kissed. Slowly his mouth descended on hers. His lips played a delightful game tantalizing hers. Her fingers slid through his soft hair, gently she applied pressure to the back of his head in the hopes he would deepen the amazing kiss.

He managed to pull away from her mouth to linger in the air above her. She whimpered against his resistance.

"I've missed you…wife," he whispered as a rare smile played about his lips.

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed it. Do you all understand how the title is no longer appropriate? I can't wait to get started on the next installment…

**_Intercepted Ascension…_**

_Someone is hacking into Kaiba Corp., an evil brother is missing, a father-in-law has finally shown up, a dark secret is about to be uncovered by a certain CEO that will create havoc, and a stubborn Princess is getting in over her head. The newlywed couple will race from Domino to Valkaria to New York in an effort to save the life they have started. A new enemy is rising and an old one is plotting ultimate revenge. Who said happily ever after was a guarantee?_

**CRAZYABOUTANIME:** I know it was a horrible place for a cliffie…sorry about that. I hope you like the ending…thanks for the review!

**WhitejellO:** Glacial Insolence…I just loved that too. How many ways can one say cold?! I love the character of Raine…strong silent types can be quite useful. I've had that whole reverse psychology thing used on me time and again so I figured I would use it to my advantage now. I hope my little taste of the sequel intrigued you. I hope to get started on it this week while I'm outta class-wed, thurs and fri. I have so many stories going now I'm a bit insane (not that I was normal before mind you…).

I hope you liked how I ended this. I couldn't turn her into a sap or him into a 'falling all over himself' half-wit. I think this was a dignified concession. Thanks for all the ideas you gave me during the story…Kaiba's room thing was totally inspired by you! I hope you stick around my stories I just love your input and you have the uncanny habit of keeping me in hysterics!

**Sarah:** I guess this chapter made you happy huh? Thanks for the review!

**Dragon Master's Mistress:** Well, are you pleased? I sure hope so. Thanks as always for the review. I tried not to let swallowing pride '' her being weak. Hopefully I succeeded.

**Silver Magiccraft:** I've tried so hard to have major character depth and plot twists (planning on doing way more twists in the sequel). It is romance…or, at least, my attempt at it. I'm so happy someone else has my pet peeve! I hate when 'to', 'too' and 'two' are used incorrectly and your and you're. There are more, but those are my worst hated. I so appreciate your compliments (though I must confess I have made mistakes, I have a second pair of eyes helping now so it doesn't happen so frequently) and hope I can keep earning your praise. Thank you ever so much for letting me know!

**Ayala:** Keeping your mind turned on huh? I'm so glad to hear that you're passing! I'm glad to hear you appreciate the pace. Some days I have no idea how I manage all the stories I write and my schoolwork. I thank my laptop constantly (Kaiba habit as it never leaves my side). I want to thank you for the comment on quality, I try so hard to achieve that. Thanks for your review!

**Mariks1andonly:** I hope you enjoyed this last installment, I know you wanted them together and I think I delivered in spades. So, I guess you can figure out how the sequel will begin… Just remember I love romance and that never runs completely smooth. I thank you for all your reviews and look forward to hear what you think of the next installment. I'm also glad we'll keep in touch!

**SirisAnkh:** I love writing with suspense! Cliffies are cool too. It is sad it's ending, but now I get to have more fun in the sequel…glad you love it and I love that you reviewed thank you so much!

**I heart Seto!:** YOU MUST SEE THE MOVIE!!! It's not a great plot, but if you love Seto…the man is in almost every scene! I had to return it to the store yesterday…sad day… My obsession and I amuse my parents. My boyfriend hates it to no end (I keep asking him to talk like Seto Kaiba-he can't), my friends have been forced to watch, now they ask… "Is Kaiba in this one?!" I think it's hysterical! One of my friends actually proofreads my work 'cause she loves Kaiba so much. Anyway, I'm rambling…

Glad you liked the confrontation with Raine, I had to get her to acknowledge her feelings and seeing as she was so stubborn I got around it the best way I could. I had to insult the man…that was hard! Then again, I defended him too so it was all good.

I love checking out pics of Seto online! I have a few saved, but I bow to your supremacy…200?! Wow…impressed here. Thanks for the compliment and thank you for the awesome review! I love getting lots of feedback lets me know I'm doing something right!

**Solo-girl:** You must know you inspired the hit right? I did that in honor of you! Psychologically bitch slapped I absolutely love that analogy!!! How are you feeling? I think you were sick when you wrote the review right? So I finally got you to feel sympathy for Seto? After all I have done I never thought you would feel badly for him. Then again, your views always surprise me…and make me think which is a good thing.

I know Seto's loyalty and devotion are wonderful, I also love how he's drawn (kudos to the artists). I know many people don't like the English version of his voice, but I do happen to like it…I hope I don't have hell's fury thrust upon me for that comment. It's my simple opinion nothing more…

Thanks for the heads up on the Star Wars movie! I have it on my calendar now. I like the poster for it, just saw it in the movie theatre yesterday. I also saw the trailer for 'Phantom of the Opera', which looks phenomenal! I can hardly wait. It was the trailer for Bridget Jones II, which was so adorable I loved it! Anyway, not a critic so I'll stop now. Thanks for your review and all of your reviews!

**Black Joey:** I'm not really sure if you like or hate the relationship between Iolite and Kaiba. Pitiful? That doesn't sound too good. Then again you said it was a great story…I'm confused…please explain (brain drain from lack of sleep). I agree she used her pride to keep up her walls, but she had a horrible life and needed time. Kaiba waited and was rewarded…hope you liked it. Thanks for reviewing.

**Josephine Jekyl:** Are you happy with the ending? I couldn't let it end any other way…my title is now outdated…moot…done. I'm looking forward to starting the sequel…that I think will involve more action and twists. I know what you're saying about a chapter that is too long, I try to write a chapter to involve only what belongs there, but sometimes I get carried away…Thanks for the review!

**Scuba muffin:** I hope the synopsis helps you understand where I'm going with the sequel. Four thumbs up eh?! That's a great compliment…thank you very much!


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